twiddle one's thumbs

verb

to circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored

“He twiddled his thumbs for almost a week while he waited for somebody to set up his computer.”

Similar
hold one's horseslallygagloaf aboutsit on one's handsbide one's timefool around
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Meanings

verbtwiddle one's thumbs (third-person singular simple present twiddles one's thumbs, present participle twiddling one's thumbs, simple past and past participle twiddled one's thumbs)

present singular third person twiddles one's thumbs · participle present twiddling one's thumbs · participle past twiddled one's thumbs · past twiddled one's thumbs

  1. to circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored

    Synonyms: hold one's horses, lallygag, loaf about

  2. idiomaticTo wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.

    He twiddled his thumbs for almost a week while he waited for somebody to set up his computer.

    Synonyms: sit on one's hands, bide one's time, fool around

Synonyms & antonyms

verbto circle one's thumbs around one another, usually with the fingers interlaced, usually done idly while waiting or bored

Similar
hold one's horseslallygagloaf about

verbTo wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.

Similar
sit on one's handsbide one's timefool around
Also see
abidehold onhold one's horseshold one's peehold one's pisshold one's waterstand bytwirl one's thumbswait

Translations

Czech točit palci, lelkovat
  • točit palcito circle one's thumbs around one another
  • lelkovatto wait or dawdle
Danish trille tommelfingre, trille tommelfingre
  • trille tommelfingreto circle one's thumbs around one another
  • trille tommelfingreto wait or dawdle
Dutch duimendraaien, duimendraaien
  • duimendraaiento circle one's thumbs around one another
  • duimendraaiento wait or dawdle
Finnish pyöritellä peukaloitansa
  • pyöritellä peukaloitansato wait or dawdle
French se tourner les pouces, se tourner les pouces
  • se tourner les poucesto circle one's thumbs around one another
  • se tourner les poucesto wait or dawdle
German Däumchen drehen, Däumchen drehen
  • Däumchen drehento circle one's thumbs around one another
  • Däumchen drehento wait or dawdle
Hungarian malmozik az ujjaival, malmozik
  • malmozik az ujjaivalto circle one's thumbs around one another
  • malmozikto circle one's thumbs around one another
  • malmozikto wait or dawdle
Italian girarsi i pollici, girarsi i pollici
  • girarsi i pollicito circle one's thumbs around one another
  • girarsi i pollicito wait or dawdle
Polish siedzieć z założonymi rękami, wlec się
  • siedzieć z założonymi rękamito wait or dawdle
  • wlec sięto wait or dawdle
Romanian freca menta, tăia frunză la câini
  • freca mentato wait or dawdle
  • tăia frunză la câinito wait or dawdle
Russian би́ть баклу́ши, сиде́ь сложа́ ру́ки
  • би́ть баклу́ши (bítʹ baklúši)to wait or dawdle
  • сиде́ь сложа́ ру́ки (sidéʹ složá rúki)to wait or dawdle
Swedish rulla tummarna, rulla tummarna
  • rulla tummarnato circle one's thumbs around one another
  • rulla tummarnato wait or dawdle
Ukrainian бити байдики, жува́ти со́плі
  • бити байдики (byty bajdyky)to wait or dawdle
  • жува́ти со́плі (žuváty sópli)to wait or dawdle
Cite this entry
APA

twiddle one's thumbs. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twiddle%20one's%20thumbs

MLA

“twiddle one's thumbs.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twiddle%20one's%20thumbs. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “twiddle one's thumbs,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twiddle%20one's%20thumbs.

Source: twiddle one's thumbs on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.