dally
verb
intransitive verb
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The Evolution of Dally
English speakers have been playing with dally since the 14th century. They first started using the word with the meaning "to chat," which was also the meaning of the Anglo-French word from which it was derived, but that meaning fell into disuse. Next, dalliers were amusing themselves by acting playfully with each other especially in amorous and flirtatious ways. Apparently, some dalliers were also a bit derisive, leading dally to mean "to deal with lightly or in a way that is not serious." It didn't take long for the fuddy-duddies to criticize all this play as a waste of time. By the mid-16th century, dally was weighted down with its "to waste time" and "to dawdle" senses.
Synonyms
- disport
- frolic
- play
- recreate
- rollick
- skylark
- sport
- toy
Example Sentences
Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2020 Before taking control of the Gaullist party in 1976, Mr. Chirac dallied with the Communist and Socialist Parties. New York Times, 26 Sep. 2019 No unplugged shows for her, no Bon Iver covers or dallying with avant-garde producers: David Guetta and Sia will do, thank you very much. New York Times, 29 Feb. 2020 WikiLeaks has also been accused of serving as a conduit for Russian misinformation, and Assange has alienated some supporters by dallying with populist politicians including Brexit-promoter Nigel Farage. NBC News, 24 Feb. 2020 In an attempt to egg him on through jealousy, Ness herself has been dallying, with unfortunate consequences. Clair Wills, The New York Review of Books, 7 Jan. 2020 Harry Kane scored the crucial goal five minutes from the end after Jack Grealish was caught dallying on the ball, and the Villa captain was punished by the clinical striker. SI.com, 10 Aug. 2019 Enough dilly dallying, when are the Broncos going to put in Drew Lock as their starting quarterback? Ryan O’halloran, The Denver Post, 26 Nov. 2019 Books are meant to be long, dallying detours into other worlds. BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2019 See More Word History
Middle English dalyen, from Anglo-French dalier
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing dally
Kids Definition
dally
verb
dally
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- play
- frolic
- rollick
- toy
- entertain
- amuse
- disport
- sport
- skylark
- recreate
- gambol
- joke
- relax
- cavort
- romp
- please
- delight
- trifle
- dawdle
- frisk
- dabble
- idle
- rest
- tease
- hang
- dabble
- divert
- goldbrick
- screw around
- jest
- loaf
- hang about
- mess around
- putter (around)
- lounge (around or about)
- bum (around)
- fiddle (around)
- slack (off)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- work
- toil
- slave
- strive
- struggle
- labor
- plod
- drudge
- plug (away)
- sweat
- strain
Synonyms & Similar Words
- linger
- delay
- drag
- crawl
- poke
- loiter
- dawdle
- stroll
- lollygag
- diddle
- dillydally
- mope
- tarry
- play
- creep
- mark time
- lag
- lallygag
- fall behind
- shilly-shally
- shuffle
- drop behind
- stall
- stagger
- idle
- hang fire
- lounge
- trifle
- drag one's heels
- amble
- saunter
- take one's time
- fool around
- inch
- loll
- drag one's feet
- temporize
- loaf
- plod
- mess around
- lumber
- decelerate
- procrastinate
- putter (around)
- monkey (around)
- fiddle (around)
- potter (around)
- hang (around or out)
- ease
- filibuster
- slow (down or up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hurry
- rush
- scurry
- course
- hasten
- scud
- run
- fly
- whirl
- speed
- race
- hotfoot (it)
- scoot
- whisk
- career
- whiz
- tear
- whizz
- bolt
- rocket
- dart
- gallop
- trot
- dash
- rip
- zip
- run
- barrel
- scramble
- hurtle
- breeze
- stampede
- hustle
- jog
- hump
- quicken
- bowl
- sprint
- accelerate
- outstrip
- overtake
- outrun
- speed (up)
- catch up
- outpace
- fast-forward
Synonyms & Similar Words
- flirt
- coquette
- coquet
- trifle
- toy
- frivol
- mess around
- razz
- woo
- vamp
- tease
- fool
- lead on
- string along
- josh
- mash
- court
- kid
- rib
- put on
- manipulate
- play (with)
Synonyms & Similar Words
- dawdle
- lazy
- idle
- dillydally
- stroll
- bum
- play
- chill
- laze
- lounge
- loll
- linger
- loaf
- rest
- muck
- hang about
- relax
- kick back
- poke
- veg out
- kill time
- loiter
- goof (off)
- footle
- drone
- mess
- piddle
- trifle
- hang (around or out)
- monkey
- mosey
- hack (around)
- fool
- kick around
- twiddle one's thumbs
- doze
- amble
- saunter
- tarry
- malinger
- lag
- truant
- swan
- estivate
- hibernate
- goldbrick
- putter (around)
- aestivate
- fiddle (around)
- furlough
- potter (around)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- plod
- toil
- work
- slave
- plow
- grind
- labor
- plug
- drudge
- peg
- hustle
- apply
- moil
- sweat
- hump
- grub
- exert
- buckle (down)
- travail
- put out
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of dally are dawdle, delay, lag, loiter, and procrastinate. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary.
While in some cases nearly identical to dally, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure).
Although the words lag and dally have much in common, lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others.
Both loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time.
While the synonyms procrastinate and dally are close in meaning, procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.