to stand shilly-shally
- idiom
- /stænd ˈʃɪli ˈʃæli/
- Archaic
:
vacilar
- Whenever a big decision comes up, he tends to stand shilly-shally and delay making a choice.
Examples
-
She stood shilly-shally at the crossroads, uncertain about which path to take.
-
Whenever he has to choose a restaurant for dinner, he always stands shilly-shally between options instead of deciding quickly.
-
Don't stand shilly-shally—take action before it's too late!
-
Don't stand shilly-shally any longer!
-
She is always standing shilly-shally when it comes to making plans.
-
Don't stand shilly-shally in your decision-making; just pick one and move forward!
-
She tends to stand shilly-shally whenever it's time to commit to a new job or project.
Synonyms
318
2.5
To pause before saying or doing something because you feel unsure
52
5.7
To show doubt when making a decision
37
5.4
To be unable to decide between different options in your mind
15
8.3
To delay giving a clear answer or making a choice
8
8.1
To be unable to decide and keep changing between choices
8
7.7
To act nervously and be unable to decide quickly
4
7.7
To waste time by moving or acting slowly
3
6.6
To feel unsure about making a decision or taking action
1
7.9
To hesitate before deciding, often about small things
1
9.2
To delay deciding for now because it is difficult or unclear
To be unsure and change your mind often
Hesitate instead of deciding or acting quickly
Stay neutral and not choose a side in a disagreement
Delay making a decision by waiting instead of choosing
Antonyms
How Hesitant
8
8.1
8
7.7
- Archaic
52
5.7
318
2.5
346
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to be indecisive' is directly derivable from combining 'stand' (to be in a state/position) with 'shilly-shally' (to hesitate/delay); the light-verb construction simply means 'to stand in a state of hesitating'. Although 'shilly-shally' is somewhat informal and less frequent, the composition follows a common, transparent pattern so a learner who knows both constituents will understand the MWE.
Etymology
The phrase stand shilly-shally may come from the image of someone who stays in one place (stand) and shifts their feet back and forth in a soft, unsure 'shilly-shally' movement when they cannot choose. So it now means 'to hesitate' or 'to be indecisive'.