Busywork Meaning in English
word
ˈbɪziˌwɜːrk
BIZ-ee-wurk
ˈbɪziˌwɜːk
BIZ-ee-wuhk
Definition
Tasks or activities that keep someone occupied but do not have real value, importance, or useful results.
Usage & Nuances
Usually used with a negative tone or complaint: 'just busywork.' Common in school, office, or bureaucratic contexts. Not used for genuinely productive work even if it takes time. Often singular or uncountable.
Spanish: trabajo inútil - tarea sin importanciaPortuguese (BR): trabalho improdutivo - tarefa sem propósitoPortuguese (PT): trabalho improdutivo - tarefa sem importânciaChinese (Simplified): 琐碎任务 - 无意义的工作Chinese (Traditional): 瑣碎任務 - 無意義的工作Hindi: व्यर्थ काम - दिखावटी कामArabic: عمل شكلي - عمل غير ضروريBengali: অমূল্য কাজ - নামমাত্র কাজRussian: бесполезная работаJapanese: 無駄な作業 - 退屈な作業Vietnamese: công việc vô bổKorean: 쓸모없는 일 - 의미 없는 일Turkish: boş iş - gereksiz işUrdu: فضول کام - غیر ضروری کامIndonesian: pekerjaan sia-sia - pekerjaan tidak berguna
Example Sentences
My teacher gave us busywork to fill the last hour of class.
basic
I don't like doing busywork at the office.
basic
The students complained about all the busywork they had to finish.
basic
Sometimes it feels like meetings are just busywork for everyone involved.
natural
He was tired of doing endless busywork instead of real projects.
natural
Whenever my boss wants us to look busy, she gives us random busywork.
natural