to dawdle

Examples

• All

• Most of the parents had gone on ahead, but a few still dawdled in the center of camp.

  Fiction book (1993)

• We need to hurry; we can't afford to dawdle if we want to catch the bus.

• Yeah, well, you tell him not to dawdle, you hear?

  The Hurricane Heist (2018)

• Anne and I dawdle as I keep my eye on the guard behind us.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Marie knew that she tended to dream and dawdle; everyone said so.

  Fiction book (1998)

• We dared not dawdle over our meat, for the days were growing short.

  Fiction book (1993)

• No time to dawdle.

  Missing Link (2019)

• Let's not dawdle.

  The Color Purple (2023)

• "Are we traveling by submarine?" I asked as we dawdled in the yard to take our bearings.

  Fiction book (1999)

• Jacinda is putting first-grade reading books into a knapsack for Omar, who is dawdling with his breakfast.

  Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

L

to linger

vsto dawdle

207 3.7

To stay in a place longer than expected because you do not want to leave

is slow movement or action that wastes time rather than remaining

S

to stall

vsto dawdle

166 4.3

To delay doing something on purpose to get more time

is slow wasting of time often without a clear intent to buy time

H

to hang back

vsto dawdle

34 4.6

To hesitate and stay behind the group

is general slow acting that causes delay without specific reluctance

P

to procrastinate

vsto dawdle

26 6.5

To delay doing something you should do because you avoid it

is slow acting and wasting time rather than deliberate task avoidance

S

to stall for time

vsto dawdle

• Informal

6 4.8

To delay doing something to get more time

is slowing or wasting time without the aim of buying time

D

to dally

vsto dawdle

4 7.7

To waste time by moving or acting slowly

is a slow action that causes delay rather than indecision

T

to take one's sweet time

vsto dawdle

• Informal

3 7.5

Do something slowly on purpose and without hurry

is slow and wasteful rather than deliberate relaxed pacing

M

to mark time

vsto dawdle

• Informal

3 6.3

Spend time waiting without making progress, doing unproductive things

is active slow movement causing delay rather than merely waiting

D

to dillydally

vsto dawdle

• Informal

1 8.3

To waste time by being slow or unsure about what to do

is slow movement that causes delay rather than mere hesitation

D

to dally too long

vsto dawdle

7.0

To delay longer than you should and risk missing something

is slow action that need not last longer than necessary

H

to hang an arse

vsto dawdle

• Offensive

9.9

To waste time instead of working

is slow action causing delay rather than general laziness

P

to piddle away

vsto dawdle

• Informal

8.6

Spend time or money on unimportant things

focuses on slow action causing delay rather than wasting resources

D

to drag one's feet

vsto dawdle

• Informal

5.5

To be slow on purpose because you do not want to do something

is simple slow action that causes delay rather than deliberate refusal

D

to drag one's heels

vsto dawdle

• Informal

7.5

To delay doing something because you do not want to do it

is general slow acting that may not show deliberate reluctance

Antonyms

H

to hurry

∞ 1.0

To move or act quickly because there is little time

R

to rush

548 1.0

To move or act quickly because a situation needs it

How Slow

to drag one's feet

• Informal

5.5

to dawdle

17 5.0

to linger

207 3.7

to loiter

26 5.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology