to dally
1
8.2
- verb
- /ˈdæli/
:
coquetear
- He tends to dally with flirtatious banter instead of committing to a real relationship.
- dally with a man
Examples
-
Dreamina was shapely, petite, auburn-haired, and had only that morning entered the brief phase in a rich girl's life when she wished to dally with a man beneath her station just for the experience.
Fiction book (1995) -
Tell His Majesty we've also taken a vow not to dally with females... ...till all his enemies are vanquished.
-
"Not to marry, but to dally with." "I hope my husband encounters none such," Bunny said.
Fiction book (1994) -
Their husbands suspected they were late because they were dallying with other men along the way.
Blog text (17) -
And you're dallying with the writer.
-
You're dilly-dallying with sir Philip and young Ben.
-
"Then they'd pop up in my bed whilst I was dallying with Nicky.
Fiction book (2001) -
In addition to feasting and dallying with Tahitian beauties, the French had serious tasks to perform.
Fiction book (1991) -
The card players, the lovers who dally, he sees the king in an ermine cloak with his fortune stashed in hogshead drums.
Fiction book (1992) -
She loves to dally with various romantic interests but never takes any of them seriously.
Synonyms
267
3.1
Behave playfully or tease someone to show romantic interest
16
5.3
To try to attract someone you like, often with gifts or kind words
8
9.9
To flirt with someone without wanting a serious relationship
4
7.8
Talk to someone in a friendly way to try to start a romantic relationship
1
8.3
To talk and act in a playful way to show romantic interest without serious intent
To act in a flirty way without serious interest
Behave in a playful, flirty way to get attention
Phrasal Verbs
How Serious
Surface Forms
Etymology
Dally comes from the old French verb dallier meaning 'to play', and that sense of 'playing' led to the idea of 'playing with feelings'. So, to dally with someone is to behave flirtatiously or toy with their feelings without real intention.