tinker
To change something a little bit to improve it or test it.
To make small adjustments to something in an informal, experimental way, often to improve it or see what happens.
To do small repairs or build things for fun.
To spend time repairing, building, or improving mechanical or electronic things as a hobby, usually in a relaxed, hands-on way.
To change something a little in a way that may not help.
To interfere with something (especially a system, rules, or a situation) by making small changes that may not be helpful and could cause trouble.
In the past, a person who traveled to fix metal pots and pans.
A person who travels from place to place repairing household items such as pots and pans (now mainly historical).
An offensive word for an Irish Traveller (avoid).
An offensive term for a member of the Irish Traveller community.
- Base: tinker
- Plural: tinker, tinkers
- Base: tinker
- 3rd Person Singular: tinkers
- Present Participle: tinkering
- Past: tinkered
tinker around
1do small casual work
To work on something in a casual way for fun.
- I was just tinkering around with a new app idea.
- He tinkered around with the bike until the brakes felt better.
- We spent the afternoon tinkering around in the garden shed.
- They tinkered around with the old computer.
tinker at/around the edges
1make minor changes, not real reform
To make small changes that don’t solve the main problem.
- The proposal just tinkers around the edges instead of fixing the housing shortage.
- We can’t keep tinkering at the edges of the budget; we need a new plan.
- They accused the committee of tinkering at the edges of the issue.
tinker away
1keep working in small steps
To keep making small changes for a long time.
- She tinkered away at the model plane until midnight.
- They’ve been tinkering away at the new design for months.
- I’ll tinker away with the settings and see if it runs faster.