to loiter
26
5.4
- verb
- /ˈlɔɪtər/
:
merodear
- You shouldn't loiter in front of the school after hours; it's not safe.
- loitering ordinance
But we're just loitering there basically.
- But we're just loitering there basically.
- The only people that these young people who are loitering on the street corner see that represent institutions are the police officer.
- I mean, that's what loitering, No phones, just staring into the air.
Examples
-
You cannot loiter here.
-
Hey, why do I pay you when I should have you arrested for loitering?
-
But we're just loitering there basically.
-
Guess who I found loitering in the park.
-
So instead, their plan was to just loiter outside the arena as if they belong there with their weapons in broad daylight.
-
- Maybe you should be looking for the kid instead of loitering.
-
Others, hardly more than children, with an eager look in their eyes, loitered, hoping for their chance.
Fiction book (1995) -
I'm just saying they shouldn't be loitering around the stores like they do.
Fiction book (2001) -
Here, men waiting to hop a freight train to distant places loitered alongside the out-of-work.
Fiction book (1998) -
I've never seen her backstage, but with so many people loitering about…
Synonyms
407
2.0
To stay in a place without doing anything important
350
1.1
To spend time sitting and doing very little without a clear purpose
207
3.7
To stay in a place longer than expected because you do not want to leave
43
3.7
To spend time doing nothing useful
20
5.8
Move slowly around a place because you feel sad or bored
14
9.1
To spend time relaxing with friends or alone without a plan
12
2.7
To sit or lie in a place and relax
9
3.7
Move around slowly in a place without any clear purpose, often in a group
7
7.5
To stay in a place longer than expected
7
6.2
To spend time doing little or nothing instead of working
7
4.3
To spend time relaxing and doing very little
7
5.3
To move around a place without a clear reason, often in a group
5
3.8
To relax and do very little
3
5.9
To spend time somewhere doing nothing special
3
4.4
To stay in a place without a clear reason
2
9.5
To waste time instead of doing the work you need
1
3.4
To spend time lazily doing little or nothing
1
4.4
To spend time doing very little and relaxing
1
3.2
To spend time doing nothing
1
9.9
Move around without a clear plan or purpose
1
6.5
To move around slowly doing small jobs in no hurry
Antonyms
How Aimless
Surface Forms
Etymology
Loiter comes from old words meaning 'to delay' or 'to remain', so to loiter is to hang around or wait with no clear purpose.