Faffed

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To waste time doing unimportant tasks
2. to engage in aimless or pointless activity that lacks focus
3. to procrastinate or dilly-dally instead of being productive

Etymology: "Faffed" is the past tense and past participle of "faff", a verb meaning to waste time doing things that achieve little. The surprising part is where the verb started: it was originally imitative, meaning to blow in puffs or to move with a puff of air, so the sense of fussing without accomplishing anything grew out of the sound and motion of breath. The noun "faff" was formed from the verb by conversion, so the same word serves as both a verb and a noun, with the noun describing the fuss or bustle itself. The two uses share that light, puffing idea of something insubstantial happening in the air.

Synonyms: dawdled, fiddled

Antonyms: hastened, rushed