at loose ends
(redirected from leave someone at loose ends)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.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 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.