1 B2 idiomatic informal
To waste time by spending it on trivial, unproductive activities.
"She fiddled away the whole afternoon looking at social media instead of studying."
separable
fiddle away
B2 informal separable transitive
To waste time or resources by spending them on unimportant, trivial activities.
In plain English
To waste time or money doing small, useless things instead of something important.
What does "fiddle away" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To waste money or resources on petty, unimportant things.
"He fiddled away his inheritance on gadgets and gimmicks."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To play the fiddle and let time or resources drift away.
Actually means
To waste time or money doing small, useless things instead of something important.
Usage tip
Usually used with 'time' or 'money' as the object: 'fiddle away the hours/years/money'. Expresses a critical tone — the speaker thinks the time or resources are being wasted. More common in British English.
Words that pair with "fiddle away"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
time hours money afternoon years opportunity
How to conjugate "fiddle away"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
fiddle away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
fiddles away
he/she/it
Past simple
fiddled away
yesterday
Past participle
fiddled away
have + pp
-ing form
fiddling away
continuous
Hear "fiddle away" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "fiddle away" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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