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Busy Work

What Does "Busy Work" Mean?

homeidiomsBusy Work
"Busy work" is an English idiom. It means "tasks that are assigned more to keep someone occupied than because they are necessary or important."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "busy work" used in a sentence:
  • The teacher gave the students some busy work while she graded the exams.
  • I hate being given busy work; I'd rather do something meaningful.
  • Sometimes, interns are just given busy work instead of valuable experience.
meaning for busy work

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Busy Work" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

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