to dilly-dally
5
7.9
- verb
- /ˈdɪliˌdæli/
- Informal
:
dilatar
- If you keep dilly-dallying, you might miss the bus!
- let's not dilly-dally
- so stop dilly-dallying
You can pussyfoot, you can lollygag, you can dilly dally, you can take your sweet ass time.
- You can pussyfoot, you can lollygag, you can dilly dally, you can take your sweet ass time.
- I've been a freaking dilly dallying long enough, but we're going to start this day.
Examples
-
So don't dilly-dally signin' that document 'cause time is running out.
-
Well, don't dilly-dally, Charles.
-
I finally decided it was time to stop dilly-dallying and get the game on the table.
Blog text (19) -
This will hit your customer base, especially those who are dilly-dallying with the choice of their next phone.
Blog text (7) -
This was no time to dilly-dally.
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It's a very important meeting and it has to start at 8:00, so no dilly-dallying.
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Otherwise, I dilly-dally around, getting distracted and not completing anything.
Blog text (18) -
I just don't have time to dilly-dally.
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Pick up a quart of milk on the way home, and don't dilly-dally.
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We can't dilly-dally.
Synonyms
728
1.6
To spend time doing things that are not useful instead of doing something more useful
166
4.3
To delay doing something on purpose to get more time
26
6.5
To delay doing something you should do because you avoid it
17
5.0
Move or act slowly and waste time, causing delay
6
4.8
To delay doing something to get more time
4
7.7
To waste time by moving or acting slowly
3
6.3
Spend time waiting without making progress, doing unproductive things
3
7.9
Spend time doing very little or nothing
2
7.7
To spend time doing nothing useful
2
9.5
To waste time instead of doing the work you need
2
7.9
To waste time and effort without making progress
2
8.6
To spend time doing very little and moving around without plans
1
7.7
To spend time doing nothing and not working
1
8.3
To waste time by being slow or unsure about what to do
1
9.9
To waste time doing silly or lazy things instead of useful work
Hesitate instead of deciding or acting quickly
To delay longer than you should and risk missing something
To be slow on purpose because you do not want to do something
To delay doing something because you do not want to do it
To spend time on things that are not useful
To waste time instead of working
Act in a silly, aimless way and waste time
Spend time or money on unimportant things
Antonyms
How Slow
26
6.5
- Informal
5
7.9
17
5.0
207
3.7
318
2.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word dilly-dally comes from repeating a playful sound and the English verb dally, which means 'to waste time' or 'play'. So dilly-dally means to delay or put things off instead of acting.