# doss around

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/doss-around
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to spend time doing very little or being lazy when you should be working.

For teachers: to spend time aimlessly or idly; to avoid productive activity. This is a British English colloquialism with a derogatory or informal register.

## Examples

- Stop dossing around and finish your homework.
- The manager was angry because he found the staff dossing around in the break room during the busiest hour.
- While his peers were focused on their final exams, he spent the entire semester dossing around, seemingly indifferent to his future prospects.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He is dossing about of the office." but "He is dossing around the office." — the phrase does not require 'of' before the location or object.

## Usage notes

- highly informal British English; usually implies the person is wasting time on purpose.
- Teaching tip: this is a great example of British slang that functions as a standard phrasal verb; you can link it to the noun 'doss' (something very easy) or 'dosser' (a lazy person).

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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.