Meaning & use
putz
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Meanings
nouncountableinformaldisapproving
A mildly insulting word for a person who is acting stupid, clumsy, or useless in a particular moment.
Grammar: Usually singular with “a”; the plural “putzes” is possible but less common.
Patterns
- call someone a putz
- feel like a putz
- a total putz
I felt like a putz when I realized I had been holding the map upside down.
He called himself a putz after locking his keys in the car.
In the film, the coworkers trade insults like “idiot” and “putz,” which suits the childish tone.
verbintransitiveinformal
To spend time in a lazy, aimless way, often doing small tasks instead of something important.
Grammar: Mostly in the phrase “putz around”; no object in the basic use.
Patterns
- putz around
- putz around with something
- putz around doing something
Stop putzing around and answer the email before lunch.
He spent Saturday putzing around with an old radio in the garage.
We putzed around the kitchen, making coffee and talking about nothing.
Word forms
| plural | putzes |
|---|---|
| third person singular | putzes |
| past tense | putzed |
| past participle | putzed |
| -ing form | putzing |
Common combinations
- feel like a putz
- She felt like a putz after waving back at a stranger who was waving at someone else.
- call someone a putz
- The transcript shows he called himself a putz for missing the obvious clue.
- a total putz
- I was a total putz and packed three chargers for the wrong laptop.
- putz around
- We had an hour to kill, so we putzed around the mall.
- putz around with something
- He’s been putzing around with the settings all morning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fool
- More neutral and widely usable than “putz”; it can describe a silly act without sounding like slang.
- idiot
- Stronger and more openly insulting than “putz”; use it carefully even in joking speech.
- jerk
- Focuses on rude or selfish behavior, while “putz” focuses more on foolish or clumsy behavior.
- dork
- Similar mild teasing tone, but often suggests social awkwardness rather than simple incompetence.
Opposites
Word family
- putzy adjective
- Very informal adjective meaning foolish, awkward, or not working smoothly.
- putz around phrase
- Phrasal-verb use meaning to waste time or fiddle aimlessly.
Commonly confused: putz or puts? putz or putter?
putz vs puts
“Puts” is the third-person singular of “put”; “putz” is a separate informal insult from Yiddish.
putz vs putter
“Putter around” is the usual American phrasal verb for idle fiddling; “putz around” is slangier and less neutral.
Practice
Which sentence uses “putz” in the most appropriate register?
Choose one answer.
“Putz” is casual and mildly insulting, so it fits a self-deprecating joke among friends. A formal apology, a committee noun, and a sweeping statement about voters are the wrong register or grammar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “putz”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.