twiddle

1 of 2

verb

twid·​dle ˈtwi-dᵊl 

twiddled; twiddling

ˈtwid-liŋ,

ˈtwi-dᵊl-iŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to play negligently with something : fiddle

2

: to turn or jounce lightly

twiddles round and round in the water

—J. B. S. Haldane

transitive verb

: to rotate lightly or idly

twiddled his pen

twiddle

2 of 2

noun

: turn, twist

Phrases

twiddle one's thumbs

: to spend time idly : do nothing

Synonyms

Verb

• diddle (with)
• fiddle (with)
• fool (with)
• mess (with)
• monkey (with)
• play (with)
• tamper (with)
• tinker (with)
• toy (with)

Examples of twiddle in a Sentence

Verb

Just twiddle the dial on the radio a bit for better reception.

Twiddle the knob on the telescope until things are in focus.

She twiddled her pen while she talked on the phone.

She twiddled with her pen while she talked on the phone.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Elsewhere in the hemisphere, democratic countries have regressed to a more familiar undemocratic norm in the caudillo, or the strongman leader with autocratic tendencies, as other relatively healthy democracies have twiddled their thumbs. —Ryan C. Berg, Foreign Affairs, 6 Oct. 2021

But having twiddled his thumbs since leaving Manchester United in 2023, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. —Phil Hay, The Athletic, 23 July 2024

Noun

Crucially, in the new scheme, all inputs and outputs between simulations of different scales must be consistent, leaving fewer dials to twiddle. —Thomas Lewton, Quanta Magazine, 23 Aug. 2022

Pilots sit behind a modern avionic dashboard and twiddle control sticks to direct advanced, swiveling engines. —Andrew Van Dam, chicagotribune.com, 12 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1774, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing twiddle

• twiddle one's thumbs

Kids Definition

twiddle

verb

twid·​dle

ˈtwid-ᵊl

twiddled; twiddling

ˈtwid-liŋ,

-ᵊl-iŋ

: to rotate lightly or idly

twiddle one's thumbs