# fiddle while Rome burns

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To neglect helping when one’s time is needed most; to ignore the major problem at hand (whilst doing something less important); to be idle, inactive, or uninterested in a time of great need.

## Etymology
From the ancient rumour that the Roman emperor Nero played a lyre during the Great Fire of Rome (AD 64).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/fiddle-while-rome-burns