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Glite Dictionary
dilatory

dilatory

2 9.3
Being slow to act and causing delay
  • adjective
  • /ˈdɪləˌtɔri/
  • Formal
translation icon : dilatorio
  • His dilatory nature often led him to miss deadlines at work.
  • dilatory tactics
  • dilatory lawsuits
  • dilatory amendment

Examples

  • The cards, more dilatory than he expected, have taken two hours to answer the first three questions correctly.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Rather than encouraging compliance with the deadline, NRDC predicted that the EPA's policy would invite dilatory behavior by states.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The companies did not begin to march until the middle of each day, a pace so dilatory that they were running out of provisions.

    Academic text (2011)

  • In the speech, Brown had been highly critical of what he considered Lincoln's dilatory actions regarding slavery.

    Blog text (9)

  • The Americans' display of overeagerness for an agreement provided another incentive for the Kremlin to prove dilatory or worse.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Senate reforms were aimed more at reducing the dilatory powers of intransigent minorities than at strengthening the hands of party leaders.

    Academic text (1992)

  • I am struck by what a new kind of book this must have been for me: the thickly descriptive language, the dilatory indirection of the narrator, Marlow.

    Academic text (2010)

  • The Court recognizes that the Albanian Government's complete failure to carry out its duties after the explosions, and the dilatory nature of its diplomatic notes, are extenuating circumstances for the action of the United Kingdom Government.

    Academic text (2017)

  • The company's dilatory responses to customer complaints frustrated many clients.

  • The dilatory actions of the committee delayed the project's approval for months.

Synonyms

slow
vsdilatory
∞ 1.0

Moving or happening at a low speed

implies causing delay by delayed action or time wasting rather than mere reduced speed
slow-moving
vsdilatory
17 2.3

Moving at a low speed and not making quick progress

creates delay by delayed action or response rather than only gradual movement
poky
vsdilatory
  • Informal
1 7.9

Moving slowly and wasting time

focuses more on hesitation in acting or replying than on slow movement
pokey
vsdilatory
  • Informal
1 8.4

A person or thing that moves slowly and makes people wait

emphasizes delay caused by slow decisions or responses rather than physical sluggishness
laggard
vsdilatory
1 7.9

Slow to act or move, causing delay

tends to delay things by wasting time rather than merely moving slowly
laggardly
vsdilatory
8.1

In a slow way that makes tasks finish late

causes delay by wasting time or slow decisions rather than mere sluggishness
slowgoing
vsdilatory
4.7

Showing little energy and moving at a low speed

delays by delayed response instead of simply lacking energy

Antonyms

prompt
28 3.4

Done quickly and without delay

expeditious
6 7.8

Done quickly without wasting time

Compounds

dilatory plea
  • Formal
9.9

A formal request to delay a court case without deciding the main issue

How Delaying

obstructive
6 6.2
dilatory
  • Formal
2 9.3
slow
∞ 1.0
prompt
28 3.4

Surface Forms

dilatory positive
dilatorier comparative
dilatoriest superlative

Morphology

dilatory = delay (semi-transparent) = dilat + ory

The meaning 'tending to cause delay' aligns with the common verb 'delay', but the form 'dilat-' comes from Latin and differs from the modern English form, which may confuse learners.

Etymology

Dilatory comes from an old Latin verb that meant 'to put off'. A helpful way to remember it is to think of the word delay — a dilatory person or action makes things 'late' or slow, so the word means causing delay or being slow to act.