at a loose end
idiom
British
: not knowing what to do : not having anything in particular to do
With everyone on vacation she was at a loose end.
Drop by if you find yourself at a loose end this weekend.
Examples of at a loose end in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
So Charles was left at a loose end, struggling to draw from the diminishing pool of debutantes who satisfied the stringent royal criteria.
—
Alexander Smith, NBC News, 8 Sep. 2022
Things settle into a more relaxed Britcom groove once Maurice, at a loose end with his children grown and retirement looming, finds his new calling — one that precisely no one else can hear.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Oct. 2021
This left Justine at a loose end, and Brett was right there to pick it up.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2021
On the evening of February 16, 1961, 19-year-old Wilbert Rideau found himself at a loose end.
—Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, 11 Jan. 2021
Alexander Smith, NBC News, 8 Sep. 2022
Things settle into a more relaxed Britcom groove once Maurice, at a loose end with his children grown and retirement looming, finds his new calling — one that precisely no one else can hear.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Oct. 2021
This left Justine at a loose end, and Brett was right there to pick it up.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2021
On the evening of February 16, 1961, 19-year-old Wilbert Rideau found himself at a loose end.
—Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, 11 Jan. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at a loose end.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near at a loose end
Cite this Entry
“At a loose end.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20a%20loose%20end. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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