“fiddle around”是一个口语化很强的英语短语,核心含义是“无目的地摆弄/捣鼓、瞎忙、浪费时间做琐碎事”,强调行为缺乏明确目标或成果,常用来描述人“消磨时间、瞎折腾”的状态。
可以拆解为两种常见场景:
1、 对具体物品的“摆弄”:用手反复触摸、拨弄某物(无实际目的);
2、 对抽象行为的“瞎忙”:做无关紧要的事,没有推进核心任务。
→ 侧重“摆弄/捣鼓某物”(尤指无意识地摸、转、调整)
例:
Stop fiddling around with your hair—you look fine!(别再拨弄头发了——你这样就很好!)
He’s been fiddling around with the bike’s gears all afternoon but still can’t fix them.(他一下午都在捣鼓自行车的齿轮,却还是没修好。)
→ 侧重“瞎忙/无所事事地做某事”(无明确成果)
例:
I spent the weekend fiddling around in the garage, but I didn’t finish the shelf.(我周末在车库里瞎折腾,却没做完架子。)
Don’t just fiddle around—we need to leave in 10 minutes!(别瞎晃了——我们10分钟后就得走!)
→ 引申为“反复琢磨/推敲某个想法”(非正式,强调“犹豫、没定论”)
例:
She’s been fiddling around with the idea of starting a bakery for months.(她几个月来一直在琢磨开面包店的事。)
Let’s stop fiddling around with the budget and make a decision.(别再反复推敲预算了,赶紧做决定!)
语境限制:非常口语化,适用于日常对话(如朋友、家人之间),不适合正式写作(替换为“tinker with”“adjust”或“consider”更正式)。
同义词区分:
mess around:更侧重“瞎混、浪费时间”(e.g., Stop messing around and study!);
potter around:更侧重“慢悠悠、轻松地捣鼓”(e.g., She potters around the garden every morning.);
tinker with:更侧重“小修小补、调试”(e.g., He likes tinkering with old computers.)。
“fiddle around”本质是“无目标的小动作/小行为”,用在想吐槽某人“瞎折腾、不务正业”时特别贴切~