1. Small and of little importance
   "a fiddling sum of money";
   - footling [informal], lilliputian [informal], little [informal], niggling [informal], piddling [informal], piffling [informal], petty [informal], picayune [N. Amer, informal], trivial [informal], niggly [informal], piddly [informal]

1. [informal] Play around with or alter or falsify, usually secretively or dishonestly
   "the reporter fiddled with the facts";
   - tamper, monkey
    
2. [informal] (music) play the violin or fiddle
   "Zuckerman fiddled that song very nicely"
    
3. Handle or manipulate something idly or absentmindedly
   "Don't fiddle with the screws";
   - toy, play
    
4. [informal] Commit fraud and steal from one's employer
   "We found out that she had been fiddling for years"
    
5. Try to fix or mend
   "She always fiddles with her van on the weekend";
   - tinker
    
6. Avoid (one's assigned duties)
   "He was always fiddling at work";
   - shirk, goldbrick [N. Amer, informal]

See also: unimportant

Type of: avoid, bushel [US], defalcate, doctor [informal], embezzle, fix, malversate [archaic], manipulate, mend, misappropriate, peculate, play, repair, spiel

Encyclopedia: Fiddling