# twiddle one's thumbs

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/twiddle-ones-thumbs
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.

## Examples

- I sat there twiddling my thumbs while waiting for the bus.
- The meeting was delayed by an hour, so we just sat in the conference room twiddling our thumbs.
- While the rest of the team worked tirelessly to meet the deadline, he sat at his desk twiddling his thumbs, clearly lacking any meaningful tasks to perform.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.