Meaning of faff | Babel Free

Definitions

1. An overcomplicated task, especially one perceived as a waste of time.
   Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, slang
2. A state of confused or frantic activity.

Equivalents

Examples

“Adjusting this television is a bit of a faff.”

“God it must be a faff having to get nigh-on naked every time your bladder runneth over, and imagine how much worse it must be if you only have a 20-second break to run off stage to the loo.”

“Breakfast in bed at the royal household is a massive faff. A page boy must carry the tray upstairs, but he's banned from actually serving it. So he leaves it on the floor by the bedroom door, whereupon a housemaid picks it up and knocks on said portal.”

“The fuss and faff meant Christmas had long since been drained of any joy and excitement.”

“The show is a carefully curated manifesto of “social success without faff”.”

“She's in a total faff about tonight's dinner party.”

CEFR level