boondoggle

[ boon-dog-uhl, -daw-guhl ]
See synonyms for: boondoggleboondoggledboondoggling on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a wasteful and worthless project undertaken for political, corporate, or personal gain, typically a government project funded by taxpayers: Is high-speed rail a valuable addition to infrastructure, or a boondoggle?

  2. work of little or no value done merely to keep or look busy.

  1. a product of simple manual skill, as a plaited leather cord for the neck or a knife sheath, made typically by a camper or a scout.

verb (used with object),boon·dog·gled, boon·dog·gling.
  1. to deceive or attempt to deceive: to boondoggle investors into a low-interest scheme.

verb (used without object),boon·dog·gled, boon·dog·gling.
  1. to do work of little or no practical value merely to keep or look busy.

Origin of boondoggle

1
An Americanism dating back to 1930–35; of unknown origin

Other words from boondoggle

  • boon·dog·gler, noun

Words Nearby boondoggle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use boondoggle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for boondoggle

boondoggle

/ (ˈbuːnˌdɒɡəl) informal, mainly US and Canadian /


verb
  1. (intr) to do futile and unnecessary work

noun
  1. a futile and unnecessary project or work

Origin of boondoggle

1
C20: said to have been coined by R. H. Link, American scoutmaster

Derived forms of boondoggle

  • boondoggler, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012