assing
Word family
- assnounB1
- assedverb (past tense)B2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four words describe poor or incomplete work, but they differ in focus. 'Assing' and 'mess around' both carry a very informal, almost slang register, but 'ass around' specifically frames the worker as lazy and half-hearted, while 'mess around' can simply mean playing without any intention of doing serious work. 'Botch' is the most specific to ruining a task through clumsy or incompetent work — you can botch a repair even if you tried hard. 'Slack off' emphasises avoiding work rather than doing it badly. 'Skimp on' is the most neutral register and focuses on spending too little time, money, or materials. For example: 'He assed around all day instead of fixing the fence' suggests he was lazy and not trying; 'He botched the fence repair' suggests he tried but did a poor job.
Common collocations
Etymology
Derived from the noun 'ass' (in its slang sense of a foolish or contemptible person), the verb was formed by adding the '-ing' suffix in 20th-century American English. The idea is that someone who 'asses around' is behaving like an ass — foolishly and without care or effort. The adjective use followed naturally from the verb.