fiddle
/ˈfɪdl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɪdl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfi-dᵊl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈfɪd.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɪd.əl/ (ame, ipa)
fiddle — verb
1. to illegally alter or falsify financial records, official documents, or figures
to illegally alter or falsify financial records, official documents, or figures so that you personally gain money or some other benefit.
The accountant was caught fiddling the company's financial records to hide the missing funds.
fiddle + financial records (transitive)
Niran admitted that he had fiddled his travel expenses for years.
Investigators found proof that someone had fiddled with the safety inspection reports.
Several players were banned from the sport for fiddling their age on registration forms.
The politician resigned after it emerged that he had fiddled his election campaign finances.
- falsify
more formal; strongly suggests altering written records
- manipulate
broader; can be neutral or dishonest depending on context
- tamper with
implies meddling, not necessarily for financial gain
文法句型
fiddle + noun (accounts, figures, records)
fiddle with + noun
用法筆記
Object is usually financial records, figures, expenses, tax returns, or official documents. The intransitive form with 'with' often appears in passive constructions: 'the figures had been fiddled with'.
常見錯誤
2. to repeatedly touch or move a small object with your fingers, typically from res
to repeatedly touch or move a small object with your fingers, typically from restlessness, anxiety, or lack of concentration.
Hassan fiddled with his pen during the entire interview, and the interviewer noticed.
fiddle with + small object (nervous context)
The little girl sat on the wooden chair and fiddled with the hem of her dress.
Rohan fiddled nervously with the zipper of his coat while waiting for the test results.
Stop fiddling with your phone during dinner — it is rude.
João fiddled with the loose button on his shirt throughout the long ceremony.
文法句型
fiddle with + noun (object you hold or touch)
用法筆記
Almost always takes 'with' + an object (something small held in the hands). The action is often a sign of nervousness or boredom. Distinguish from sense 4 (tinker/adjust) where the purpose is to fix or improve something — here there is no goal.
常見錯誤
3. to play a violin, especially in folk, country, or traditional music styles.
to play a violin, especially in folk, country, or traditional music styles.
Ingrid can fiddle and sing at the same time, which always amazes the crowd at the pub.
The old man sat on his front porch and fiddled a cheerful tune for the neighbourhood children.
fiddle + a tune (transitive pattern)
Joon has been fiddling in a bluegrass band since he was fifteen years old.
Kasia's grandfather taught her to fiddle when she was barely tall enough to hold the instrument.
The musicians fiddled all night at the harvest celebration, and nobody wanted to go home.
- play the violin
more formal; used for classical music
- play the fiddle
same meaning, 'fiddle' as noun is the informal term for violin
文法句型
fiddle (intransitive)
fiddle + noun (a tune, a song)
用法筆記
Often implies a more informal, traditional, or lively playing style than the neutral 'play the violin'. Commonly used in folk, country, bluegrass, and Celtic music contexts.
常見錯誤
4. to make small changes or adjustments to a machine, device, or system, often in a
to make small changes or adjustments to a machine, device, or system, often in an attempt to repair or improve it.
Christopher spent the whole afternoon fiddling with an old radio he found in the garage.
fiddle with + electronic device (trying to fix)
The mechanic fiddled with the car engine for an hour before it finally started.
Shirin enjoys fiddling with computer code to make the website load faster.
Eitan fiddled with the camera settings until the light looked perfect in the photograph.
Please do not fiddle with the thermostat — the temperature is fine as it is.
- tinker with
very similar, often interchangeable
- adjust
more neutral and purposeful; less informal
- twiddle
less common; suggests turning knobs or controls aimlessly
- leave alone
to not touch or interfere with something
- ignore
to pay no attention to a problem
文法句型
fiddle with + noun (equipment, settings, machinery)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (fidget): sense 4 implies a purpose — you are trying to get something to work or to improve it, whereas sense 2 is aimless. The object is typically a piece of equipment, a machine, or settings, not a small personal object like a pen or ring.
常見錯誤
❌ 'She fiddled with her necklace during the meeting.' (if meaning to adjust it) — This could be sense 2 (fidget) or sense 4 (adjust); context decides. For sense 4, the object should be something functional, not a personal accessory worn on the body.
fiddle — noun
1. a violin, especially when used in folk, country, or traditional music.
a violin, especially when used in folk, country, or traditional music.
Liam plays the fiddle at the local pub every Friday night, and the regulars love his music.
play the fiddle (instrument name)
The woman rested her fiddle on her knee and tuned the strings carefully.
Kasia's father made her first fiddle by hand when she was seven years old.
The band's fiddle player is known for her fast, lively style that gets everyone dancing.
- violin
the same instrument; more formal, used in classical music
用法筆記
In informal and folk-music contexts, 'fiddle' and 'violin' refer to the same instrument. 'Fiddle' is the more casual term and implies a particular style of playing.
常見錯誤
2. a task or activity that is frustrating because it requires small, precise hand m
a task or activity that is frustrating because it requires small, precise hand movements or involves complicated little parts.
Threading this needle is a real fiddle — the eye is so tiny that I can barely see it.
a real fiddle (idiomatic expression)
Replacing the tiny watch battery was a fiddle that took Hassan nearly thirty minutes.
This zip on my jacket is such a fiddle that I prefer to wear buttons instead.
Assembling the toy was a bit of a fiddle because the screws were incredibly small.
用法筆記
Primarily British English. This sense is always used with an article ('a fiddle', 'a bit of a fiddle') and describes a task that is frustrating because of its physical fiddliness, not its intellectual difficulty.
常見錯誤
3. a dishonest plan or activity, especially one designed to get money illegally fro
a dishonest plan or activity, especially one designed to get money illegally from a person or organization.
The insurance fiddle involved fake car accidents and false claims worth thousands of dollars.
insurance fiddle (common collocation)
Niran was arrested for his part in a massive tax fiddle that lasted over five years.
tax fiddle (common collocation)
The police uncovered a large fiddle at the city planning office involving bribes and fake permits.
The old man lost his life savings in an investment fiddle run by a fake financial advisor.
- honesty
the quality of being truthful and fair
用法筆記
Used informally. In more formal or legal contexts, prefer 'fraud', 'scam', or 'swindle'. Often appears in compound phrases like 'tax fiddle', 'insurance fiddle'.