klooien
What does “klooien” mean in English?
It means to mess about or fiddle incompetently, often in a playful or clumsy way.
It's similar to saying someone is 'fucking around' in English. Typically used in informal contexts, it's more lighthearted than aggressive.
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Related Dutch words
klootjesvolk
2/5 · CoarseIt's a contemptuous term used to refer to ordinary people or the masses, implying a lack of sophistication or worth. Essentially, it belittles those who are seen as common or unrefined.
gesodemieter
2/5 · CoarseIt refers to a load of hassle or messing about. Think of it as a way to express frustration over something annoying or pointless.
klootzak
4/5 · StrongIt's a vulgar insult similar to calling someone an arsehole. Literally, it translates to 'scrotum', but that's not how it's used.
ouwehoeren
2/5 · CoarseIt means to talk nonsense or chatter on without much substance. It often carries a light-hearted tone, especially among friends.
About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via LDNOOBW, FlacSy/BadWords (CC-BY-4.0, MIT AND CC-BY-4.0). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.