Twiddling Meaning in English
word · lemma: twiddle
ˈtwɪdɫɪŋ
TWID-ling
twˈɪdlɪŋ
twID-ling
Definition
Moving something around with your fingers, often in a distracted or bored way. It can also mean wasting time when you have nothing to do.
Usage & Nuances
Often used in the phrase 'twiddling your thumbs' to describe waiting with nothing to do. Slightly informal. Not used for serious or productive activity. Can sound playful or impatient depending on context.
Spanish: jugar (con los dedos) - mover de forma distraídaPortuguese (BR): girar (com os dedos) - mexer nervosamentePortuguese (PT): rodar (com os dedos) - mexer distraidamenteChinese (Simplified): 无聊地摆弄 - 无所事事地转动Chinese (Traditional): 無聊地擺弄 - 無所事事地轉動Hindi: अंगुलियों से घुमाना - बेचैनी से छेड़नाArabic: تدوير (بالأصابع) - اللعب بَيْدَيْهِBengali: ঘোরানো - নাড়াচাড়া করা (বিরক্ত বা অলসভাবে)Russian: вертеть - крутить (пальцами, без дела)Japanese: いじる - もてあそぶVietnamese: ngọ nguậy - vọc (tay chân, đồ vật khi chán hoặc không làm gì)Korean: 만지작거리다 - 빙빙 돌리다Turkish: oynamak (parmaklarla) - çevirip durmakUrdu: گھمانا - کریدنا (بوریت یا فارغ وقت میں)Indonesian: memutar-mutar - memainkan (dengan jari, karena bosan atau gelisah)
Example Sentences
He sat at his desk, twiddling his pen.
basic
Stop twiddling with your phone and pay attention.
basic
She was twiddling her hair while reading.
basic
I got bored waiting, just twiddling my thumbs.
natural
He's always twiddling with gadgets when he's nervous.
natural
Don’t just sit there twiddling—help me out!
natural