diddle

/'didl/

Thân thiện

A child diddles with the knobs on an old radio.

Definition

1. Verb (Transitive):
   • To cheat or swindle someone, especially out of money or property: The core meaning involves deceiving someone for personal gain, often in a petty or sneaky manner.
   • To manipulate or toy with something, often in a restless or nervous way: This meaning involves handling something idly or without a clear purpose.

Examples of Usage

• Verb (To cheat):
  • The dishonest mechanic tried to diddle me on the repair bill.
  • He was accused of diddling elderly investors out of their savings.
• Verb (To manipulate idly):
  • She diddled with the pen on her desk during the long meeting.
  • Stop diddling with the thermostat; you'll break it.

Advanced Usage

• "to diddle away" (phrasal verb): To waste time in a trivial or unproductive manner.
  • He diddled away the whole afternoon instead of studying.

Variants and Related Words

• Diddler (noun): A person who cheats or swindles others.
  • The salesman was exposed as a diddler.

Synonyms

• Swindle: To cheat someone out of money or property through deception.
• Defraud: To illegally obtain money or property by deception.
• Fiddle (with): To make small, restless movements with something.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Diddle out of: To obtain something from someone by cheating or deception.
  • They diddled him out of his rightful share of the inheritance.

Related Idioms

• "You can't diddle diddlers": A saying implying that it's difficult or unwise to try to cheat someone who is themselves an expert at cheating.

Học thuật

Verb

1. manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination
   • She played nervously with her wedding ring
   • Don't fiddle with the screws
   • He played with the idea of running for the Senate
2. deprive of by deceit
   • He swindled me out of my inheritance
   • She defrauded the customers who trusted her
   • the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change

Từ đồng nghĩa

• toy
• fiddle
• play