fiddle

1 of 2

noun

fid·​dle ˈfi-dᵊl 

1

: violin

2

: a device (such as a slat, rack, or light railing) to keep objects from sliding off a table aboard ship

3

: fiddlesticks

—used as an interjection

4

[fiddle entry 2] chiefly British : swindle

fiddle

2 of 2

verb

fiddled; fiddling ˈfi-dᵊl-iŋ  ˈfid-liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to play on a fiddle

2

a

: to move the hands or fingers restlessly

b

: to spend time in aimless or fruitless activity : putter, tinker

fiddled around with the engine for hours

c

: meddle, tamper

d

: to make minor manual movements especially to adjust something

fiddled with the thermostat

transitive verb

1

: to play (something) on a fiddle

fiddle a tune

2

: cheat, swindle

3

: to alter or manipulate deceptively for fraudulent gain

… accountants fiddling the books.

—Stanley Cohen

fiddler

ˈfi-dᵊl-ər 

ˈfid-lər

noun

Synonyms of fiddle

Noun

• nuts
• nonsense
• garbage
• jazz
• drool
• rubbish
• blah
• silliness
• stupidity
• muck
• beans
• bunk
• fudge
• fiddlesticks

Verb

• fidget
• toss
• twitch
• jerk
• squirm
• twist
• wiggle
• jig

Examples of fiddle in a Sentence

Noun

an expert with the fiddle

arrested for a tax fiddle

Verb

Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

the executive fiddled with a pen as she impatiently waited for the meeting to begin

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Having a steel guitarist and fiddle player contributed heavily to the tone-switching. — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026

Buffaloe, who had formal training in music and played the viola for UCA's Little Symphony Orchestra, played fiddle in the band. — Arkansas Online, 11 July 2026

Verb

The original Rowdy Rooster, a slim storefront on a scrappy East Village block, closed earlier this year, menu fiddling notwithstanding. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 19 July 2026

The Fed's influence on credit and the economy is minimal; credit is produced by real-world productivity, not central bank fiddling. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English fithele, fethill, fydel, going back to Old English *fithele (assumed from the derivative fithelere "fiddler"), going back to Germanic *fiþlō- (whence Middle Dutch vedele "stringed instrument," Old High German fidula, fidala, Old Norse fiðla), perhaps of onomatopoeic origin

Note: See note at viol.

Verb

Middle English fithelyn, fydelin, derivative of fithele, fydel fiddle entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing fiddle

• bass fiddle
• bull fiddle
• fiddle about
• fiddle around
• fiddle away
• fiddle-faddle
• fiddle-footed
• fiddle with
• fit as a fiddle
• play second fiddle
• second fiddle

Rhymes for fiddle

• diddle
• griddle
• middle
• riddle

Kids Definition

fiddle

1 of 2 noun

fid·​dle ˈfid-ᵊl 

: violin sense 1

fiddle

2 of 2 verb

fiddled; fiddling

ˈfid-liŋ, 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to play on a fiddle

2

a

: to move the hands or fingers restlessly

b

: to spend time in aimless activity

c

: meddle, tamper

fiddler

ˈfid-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

noun