Fart-arse means: To waste time or opportunities; to dawdle.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
fart-arse
(British, Irish, Australia, New Zealand, slang) To waste time or opportunities; to dawdle.
Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
(British, Irish, Australia, New Zealand, slang) To waste time or opportunities; to dawdle.
For parents
Fart-arse means: To waste time or opportunities; to dawdle.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
fart-arse means: To waste time or opportunities; to dawdle.. Register: very informal, slang. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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UKAvoid at work
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK
(British, slang, derogatory) Term of abuse.
Cluster: insult
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "fart-arse" (F)
farm teamfarm upstatefar outfarrandfart aboutfart aroundfartbagfartboxfartcatcherfarterfartheadfarthingdale
Browse all slang words starting with F.
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Semantically related
- fart about79%
(slang) To waste time, or to fool about.
- fart off79%
(intransitive, slang, US) To waste time; to behave pointlessly or disrespectfully.
- fart around77%
(slang) To waste time, or to fool about.
- fart around77%
Informal slang meaning to waste time, mess about, or behave without purpose or direction. The term draws on 'fart' as a general expletive-lite intensifier (cf. 'fart about' in British usage) to convey aimless, unproductive behavior. It is mild enough to use in casual conversation without causing serious offense, though it is clearly informal speech rather than polite register. Essentially American English for the British 'fart about'.