Busywork

Pronunciation: /ˈbɪziwɜːrk/

Definitions of busywork

noun work that is unnecessary or trivial, often used to keep someone occupied or appear productive

Example Sentences

A1 I don't like doing busywork in school.

A2 My job involves a lot of busywork that doesn't feel productive.

B1 The new intern was given all the busywork tasks to complete.

B2 I try to delegate the busywork to others so I can focus on more important tasks.

C1 The manager realized that the busywork was taking up too much time and needed to be streamlined.

C2 After automating most of the busywork, the team was able to focus on more strategic projects.

Examples of busywork in a Sentence

formal The students were assigned busywork to keep them occupied during the teacher's absence.

informal I hate doing all this busywork, it's such a waste of time.

slang I'm so over all this busywork, it's driving me crazy.

figurative Her mind was filled with busywork, leaving little room for creativity or innovation.

Grammatical Forms of busywork

• past tense: busied
• plural: busyworks
• comparative: busier
• superlative: busiest
• present tense: busies
• future tense: will be busying
• perfect tense: have busied
• continuous tense: is busying
• singular: busywork
• positive degree: busy
• infinitive: to busywork
• gerund: busying
• participle: busied

Origin and Evolution of busywork

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The word 'busywork' originated from the combination of 'busy' and 'work', referring to tasks or activities that keep someone occupied but have little value or purpose.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'busywork' has come to be associated with menial or trivial tasks that are given to someone to keep them busy rather than being productive or meaningful. The word has evolved to emphasize the lack of importance or significance in the work being done.