Fiddle about Definition 1 of 2Pro Tip 1/3Leisurely Context Used when describing leisure activities that lack a clear goal or purpose. On my day off, I just fiddled about with some old books. Pro Tip 2/3Time Passing Implies the passage of time doing trivial tasks rather than something substantial. She fiddled about with her jewelry for hours. Pro Tip 3/3Not Negative Although it refers to non-productive time, it's often not used in a negative sense. We fiddled about with the paint samples before deciding.