busy work

Idioms

Activity meant to take up time but not actually be productive. For example, We have to put in an eight-hour day, even if we do nothing but busy work. [c. 1840]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For businesses, that might look like a way to free up workers from busy work so the company can do more.

From The Wall Street Journal

Elisha’s busy work schedule meant he sometimes missed a date with Maggie.

From Literature

But the same survey reported that up to one-third of students, teachers and parents rated the quality of some homework assignments as fair, poor, uninteresting or just busy work.

From Los Angeles Times

In the episodes, the influencer is seen juggling her busy work schedule with looking after the couple's two-year-old daughter, Bambi, at home in Manchester.

From BBC

Students can feel that an assignment is busy work or not understand its purpose.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023