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
Jane Austen2
: to move lackadaisically
"I don't want you dawdling while you making deliveries for Mrs. Ford." Connie Porter
Connie Portertransitive verb
: to spend fruitlessly or lackadaisically
dawdled the day away
dawdler
ˈdȯ-dlər
noun -dᵊl-ər
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
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
Louis Sachar, Holes2
: 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
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
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
- have one's finger on the pulse of
- have one's guard up
- have one's hands full
- have one's hands in the till
- have one's head examined
- have one's head on right
- have one's head on straight
- have one's head screwed on right
- have one's head screwed on straight
- have one's heart set on
- have one's heart set on (something)
- have one's heart set on something
- have one's hopes fixed on
- have one's hopes/sights fixed on
- have one's knees cut out from under
- have one's knees cut out from under one
- have one's legs cut out from under
- have one's legs cut out from under one
- have one's legs/feet/knees cut out from under (one)
- have one's moments
- have one's nose in
- have one's nose in the air
- have one's nose in the trough
- have one's origin
- have one's own way