From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbe at a loose endbe at a loose end (also be at loose ends American English)NOT DO something to have nothing to do I was at a loose end so I decided to go see an old movie. → loose
Examples from the Corpus
be at a loose end• After her husband died, Mildred found herself suddenly at loose ends.• I felt rather at a loose end at the end of the term so I decided to take a trip to London.• Bert, Alice was pleased to see, missed Jasper, tended to be at a loose end.• He was at a loose end.• Rhoda had died a year or two ago, and we had heard that Ralph was at loose ends.• One's best friend's cousin's daughter might well be at a loose end after leaving art college.• So, through no fault of my own, I was at a loose end quite a bit.• They'd be at a loose end when it was over, which would be the time to approach them. 