temporizer

9.9

A person who delays action to wait for a better moment

noun
/ˈtɛmpəˌraɪzər/

Formal

: temporalizador

The committee accused him of being a temporizer who always avoided making tough decisions.

Examples

As a skilled temporizer, she managed to delay the negotiations for weeks.
Don't be a temporizer!
History remembers him not as a bold leader, but as a temporizer reluctant to take decisive action.
The temporizer avoided making a choice about the project.
In a meeting full of disagreements, John became a temporizer, hoping to find a more favorable solution later.
As the deadline approached, she acted as a temporizer, trying to buy extra time for her project.
His reputation as a temporizer made colleagues wary of trusting him with important decisions.

Synonyms

procrastinator

vstemporizer

8 4.6

A person who often puts off work until the last minute

delays to gain advantage rather than from laziness or habit

staller

vstemporizer

1 7.9

A person who delays making decisions on purpose

delays to gain advantage rather than merely avoid making a choice

delayer

vstemporizer

1 7.4

A person who often waits until the last minute to do things

delays to wait for a better moment or advantage

dallier

vstemporizer

1 9.5

A person who wastes time and does not make decisions or take action

delays to gain advantage rather than due to slowness or idleness

dawdler

vstemporizer

1 7.1

A person who moves slowly and wastes time

delays purposefully to wait for advantage rather than acting slowly

dillydallier

vstemporizer

Informal

8.6

A person who wastes time by being slow to act or decide

delays strategically to gain time not merely to dawdle

cunctator

vstemporizer

Archaic

9.9

A person who often delays doing things or making decisions

delays to gain advantage rather than simply out of habit

postponer

vstemporizer

Offensive

8.4

A person who often delays tasks until the last minute

delays to gain better timing rather than out of carelessness

Antonyms

decider

7 4.4

A person or group that makes the final choice

How Delaying

stonewaller

Literature

9.6

procrastinator

8 4.6

temporizer

Formal

9.9

hesitater

6.5

Surface Forms

temporizer singular

temporizers plural

Morphology

temporizer = temporize (transparent) = temporize + er

Agent noun formed by the regular addition of '-er' to the verb 'temporize', so the meaning ('person who temporizes') is directly predictable.

Etymology

The word temporizer comes from the root temp- meaning 'time', the same root you see in temporary and tempo. So a temporizer is someone who delays action or decisions to 'buy time' and wait for a better moment.