at loose ends
Uneasy, typically due to some problem or unresolved issue. I've been at loose ends since that fight with my mother. I hope he finds a job soon—he's been at loose ends ever since getting laid off. A: "Why are you at loose ends?" B: "Because Taylor and I still can't agree on how to lead the committee."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
*at loose ends
restless and unsettled; unemployed. (*Typically: be ~; leave someone ~.) Just before school starts, all the children are at loose ends. Jane has been at loose ends ever since she lost her job.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
at loose ends
In an unsettled or uncertain situation. For example, This whole visit has left me feeling restless, constantly at loose ends, or Jane couldn't find a job this year and so is at loose ends for the summer. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
at loose ends
mod. nervous and anxious; bored with nothing to do; unemployed. Tom usually works puzzles whenever he’s at loose ends.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
at loose ends
Without a clear purpose or regular occupation; unsettled in one's affairs: "At loose ends with family gone ... I joined some clubs thinking to find companionship and enrich my life" (Ruth Daniels).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.