dawdle

verb

daw·dle ˈdȯ-dᵊl How to pronounce dawdle (audio)

dawdled; dawdling ˈdȯ-dliŋ How to pronounce dawdle (audio)

-dᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

: to spend time idly

… dawdled about in the vestibule …

Jane Austen

: to move lackadaisically

"I don't want you dawdling while you making deliveries for Mrs. Ford."

Connie Porter

transitive verb

: to spend fruitlessly or lackadaisically

dawdled the day away

dawdler

ˈdȯ-dlər

-dᵊl-ər

noun

Example Sentences

Hurry up! There's no time to dawdle. Come home immediately after school, and don't dawdle.

Recent Examples on the Web Many shoppers get free parking with a validation from certain stores and restaurants at the Grove, Americana and Palisades Village, but those who dawdle too long or don’t spend at least $250 could pay as much as $30 at the Grove.

Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2022 Clearly, this isn’t the time to dawdle or slack off.

Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 25 May 2022 Don’t dawdle, though, because places are expected to book up fast.

Susan Dunne, courant.com, 28 Mar. 2022 The team couldn’t dawdle because the dolphins might not stay long.

Jill Langlois, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Mar. 2022 We are rushed through the establishment of this world, only to dawdle as time goes by.

Daniel D'addario, Variety, 23 Dec. 2021 Building for the future was too precious to dawdle.

Evan Grant, Dallas News, 9 Aug. 2021 Pick a base and branch out or mix and match, but don’t dawdle.

David Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2021 Pick a base and branch out or mix and match, but don’t dawdle.

David Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2021 See More

dawdle

verb

as in to delay

to move or act slowly if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

delay
linger
crawl
drag
poke
lollygag
stroll
loiter
creep
dillydally
mope
lag
tarry
shuffle
diddle
play
stall
dally
mark time
lallygag
fall behind
hang fire
shilly-shally
idle
drop behind
saunter
lounge
stagger
amble
drag one's heels
take one's time
trifle
drag one's feet
procrastinate
fool around
temporize
decelerate
plod
loaf
mess around
loll
inch
ease
fiddle (around)
lumber
putter (around)
potter (around)
monkey (around)
hang (around or out)
filibuster
slow (down or up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hurry
rush
scurry
course
hasten
race
run
scoot
fly
speed
career
whizz
tear
whiz
whirl
rip
rocket
dash
whisk
scramble
breeze
hurtle
hotfoot (it)
hustle
scud
zip
bolt
dart
run
hump
barrel
gallop
trot
stampede
jog
sprint
bowl
accelerate
quicken
speed (up)
overtake
outrun
outstrip
catch up
outpace
fast-forward

as in to lazy

to spend time doing nothing accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control

Synonyms & Similar Words

lazy
idle
stroll
dillydally
laze
relax
rest
chill
bum
lounge
play
dally
linger
kill time
muck
mess
loll
poke
kick back
loaf
loiter
hang about
saunter
piddle
amble
footle
drone
fool
veg out
goof (off)
mosey
twiddle one's thumbs
trifle
kick around
hang (around or out)
tarry
monkey
lag
doze
hack (around)
hibernate
estivate
malinger
truant
goldbrick
aestivate
swan
fiddle (around)
putter (around)
furlough
potter (around)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

work
plod
toil
slave
grind
hustle
labor
sweat
plow
hump
peg
grub
plug
apply
drudge
buckle (down)
exert
travail
moil
put out

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of dawdle are dally, delay, lag, loiter, and procrastinate. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time.

loitered at several store windows

children dawdling on their way home from school

The words dally and dawdle can be used in similar contexts, but dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary.

stop dallying and get to work

The meanings of delay and dawdle largely overlap; however, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure).

we cannot delay any longer

While in some cases nearly identical to dawdle, lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others.

lagging behind in technology

The synonyms procrastinate and dawdle are sometimes interchangeable, but procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.

procrastinates about making decisions

单词	dawdle
释义	dawdle verb daw·dle ˈdȯ-dᵊl dawdled; dawdling ˈdȯ-dliŋ -dᵊl-iŋ intransitive verb 1 : to spend time idly … dawdled about in the vestibule … Jane Austen 2 : to move lackadaisically "I don't want you dawdling while you making deliveries for Mrs. Ford." Connie Porter transitive verb : to spend fruitlessly or lackadaisically dawdled the day away dawdler ˈdȯ-dlər -dᵊl-ər noun Synonyms crawl creep dally delay diddle dillydally drag lag linger loiter lollygag lallygag mope poke shilly-shally tarry See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Hurry up! There's no time to dawdle. Come home immediately after school, and don't dawdle. Recent Examples on the Web Many shoppers get free parking with a validation from certain stores and restaurants at the Grove, Americana and Palisades Village, but those who dawdle too long or don’t spend at least $250 could pay as much as $30 at the Grove. Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2022 Clearly, this isn’t the time to dawdle or slack off. Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 25 May 2022 Don’t dawdle, though, because places are expected to book up fast. Susan Dunne, courant.com, 28 Mar. 2022 The team couldn’t dawdle because the dolphins might not stay long. Jill Langlois, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Mar. 2022 We are rushed through the establishment of this world, only to dawdle as time goes by. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 23 Dec. 2021 Building for the future was too precious to dawdle. Evan Grant, Dallas News, 9 Aug. 2021 Pick a base and branch out or mix and match, but don’t dawdle. David Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2021 Pick a base and branch out or mix and match, but don’t dawdle. David Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2021 See More Word History Etymology origin unknown First Known Use circa 1656, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1 Kids Definition dawdle verb daw·dle ˈdȯ-dᵊl dawdled; dawdling 1 : to spend time wastefully : dally He couldn't afford to dawdle. He was way behind the others … Louis Sachar, Holes 2 : to move slowly and without purpose Don't dawdle in the hall. dawdle verb 1 as in to delay to move or act slowly if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance delay linger crawl drag poke lollygag stroll loiter creep dillydally mope lag tarry shuffle diddle play stall dally mark time lallygag fall behind hang fire shilly-shally idle drop behind saunter lounge stagger amble drag one's heels take one's time trifle drag one's feet procrastinate fool around temporize decelerate plod loaf mess around loll inch ease fiddle (around) lumber putter (around) potter (around) monkey (around) hang (around or out) filibuster slow (down or up) Antonyms & Near Antonyms hurry rush scurry course hasten race run scoot fly speed career whizz tear whiz whirl rip rocket dash whisk scramble breeze hurtle hotfoot (it) hustle scud zip bolt dart run hump barrel gallop trot stampede jog sprint bowl accelerate quicken speed (up) overtake outrun outstrip catch up outpace fast-forward See More 2 as in to lazy to spend time doing nothing accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control Synonyms & Similar Words lazy idle stroll dillydally laze relax rest chill bum lounge play dally linger kill time muck mess loll poke kick back loaf loiter hang about saunter piddle amble footle drone fool veg out goof (off) mosey twiddle one's thumbs trifle kick around hang (around or out) tarry monkey lag doze hack (around) hibernate estivate malinger truant goldbrick aestivate swan fiddle (around) putter (around) furlough potter (around) Antonyms & Near Antonyms work plod toil slave grind hustle labor sweat plow hump peg grub plug apply drudge buckle (down) exert travail moil put out See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of dawdle are dally, delay, lag, loiter, and procrastinate. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time. loitered at several store windows children dawdling on their way home from school The words dally and dawdle can be used in similar contexts, but dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary. stop dallying and get to work The meanings of delay and dawdle largely overlap; however, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure). we cannot delay any longer While in some cases nearly identical to dawdle, lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others. lagging behind in technology The synonyms procrastinate and dawdle are sometimes interchangeable, but procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy. procrastinates about making decisions
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dawdle

verb

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

verb

verb

Synonym Chooser