busy work

See also busy-work

English

Alternative forms

• busywork
• busy-work

Noun

busy work (uncountable)

1. (idiomatic, chiefly US) Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.

   Until we have a system clearly established, entering more data is just busy work.

Translations

activity performed for occupying time

• Finnish: puuhastelu (fi), touhuilu (fi)

References

• "busy work" in the Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.