faff
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faff
- /fæf/
Rhymes with -æf
Where it comes from
Originally imitative of wind or puffs of air (see verb senses "to blow in puffs", "to move with a puff of air"). The noun is formed from the verb by conversion.
noun faffs
-
An overcomplicated task, especially one perceived as a waste of time.
Adjusting this television is a bit of a faff.
Similar: annoyance, bother, faff, grievance, hassle, inconvenience, irritation, nuisance, palaver, peeve, plague, trouble
-
A state of confused or frantic activity.
She's in a total faff about tonight's dinner party.
Similar: flap
- A puff of smoke; a gust of wind. “Shut t’ door, wilt-tu,” said Widow Goggin sharply; “thou’rt letting in faffs o’ wind. And tak’ thi shawl off.”
verb faffs · faffing · faffed
- To blow in puffs, blow gently.
- To move (something) with a puff of air, to blow away. Time wi’ his scythe hed mawn t’crop on his heead, An’ then fafft it away wi’ his wing.
-
To waste time on an unproductive activity.
Stop Faffing And Just Do It
Similar: arse around, dick around
Translations
Talk about this word "faff." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/faff. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. faff. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/faff "faff." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/faff.Cite this
@misc{faff_2026,
title = {faff},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/faff},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
