putz

noun

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\ ˈpəts

Definition of putz

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 US, informal : a stupid, foolish, or ineffectual person : jerk

2 US, vulgar slang : penis

putz

verb

putzed; putzing; putzes

Definition of putz (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

US, informal

: to spend time in an aimless or idle manner : putter, fool around —usually + around But come July or August, I invariably find myself putzing around the kitchen, making something sort of weird, like potato-Roquefort salad sandwiches, heavy on the dill.— Karen MacNeil

Examples of putz in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb For residents of the Bay Area’s fancy, new, tricked-out condo and apartment towers, the coronavirus lockdown is more than a mandate to stay home and putz around in your slippers. — J.k. Dineen, SFChronicle.com, "At some of SF’s new luxury buildings, coronavirus social distancing means closing amenities," 23 Mar. 2020 Yoda: Don’t underestimate the wizened little green guy putzing around with a lightsaber. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "The 50 best 'Star Wars' characters ever, definitively ranked," 17 Dec. 2019 Yoda: Don’t underestimate the wizened little green guy putzing around with a lightsaber. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "The 50 best 'Star Wars' characters ever, definitively ranked," 17 Dec. 2019 Yoda: Don’t underestimate the wizened little green guy putzing around with a lightsaber. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "The 50 best 'Star Wars' characters ever, definitively ranked," 17 Dec. 2019 Yoda: Don’t underestimate the wizened little green guy putzing around with a lightsaber. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "The 50 best 'Star Wars' characters ever, definitively ranked," 17 Dec. 2019 Yoda: Don’t underestimate the wizened little green guy putzing around with a lightsaber. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "The 50 best 'Star Wars' characters ever, definitively ranked," 17 Dec. 2019 But don’t putz around and let another session go by without housing reform. — BostonGlobe.com, "It was the top issue voters wanted to talk about with Charlie Baker when he ran for re-election last year, and it has been top of mind for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who last week made an impassioned plea for more middle-class housing in his annual speech to Boston bigwigs.," 17 Oct. 2019 Really made just for putzing around in the woods, but stick some road-like tires on it and race it on a compacted-dirt track, why not? — Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati.com, "The first time I raced motorcycles, a breath at a time," 5 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'putz.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.