dawdle

verb

daw·​dle ˈdȯ-dᵊl 

dawdled; dawdling ˈdȯ-dliŋ 

-dᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to spend time idly

… dawdled about in the vestibule …

—Jane Austen

2

: to move lackadaisically

"I don't want you dawdling while you making deliveries for Mrs. Ford."

—Connie Porter

transitive verb

: to spend fruitlessly or lackadaisically

dawdled the day away

dawdler

ˈdȯ-dlər 

-dᵊl-ər

noun

Synonyms

• crawl
• creep
• dally
• delay
• diddle
• dillydally
• drag
• lag
• linger
• loiter
• lollygag
• lallygag
• mope
• poke
• shilly-shally
• tarry

Choose the Right Synonym for dawdle

delay, procrastinate, lag, loiter, dawdle, dally mean to move or act slowly so as to fall behind.

delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure).

we cannot delay any longer

procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.

procrastinates about making decisions

lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others.

lagging behind in technology

loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time.

loitered at several store windows

children dawdling on their way home from school

dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary.

stop dallying and get to work

Examples of dawdle in a Sentence

Hurry up! There's no time to dawdle.

Come home immediately after school, and don't dawdle.

Recent Examples on the Web

To experience the entirety of some of his objects, viewers have to dawdle around and through them, crane their necks, or move farther away, forcing anyone who cares to actively confront the rusty-looking husks. —Zoe Guy, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2024

In the realm of decision and action, the West has consistently dawdled, undermining not only the Ukrainian cause but also its own. —Eliot A. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2023

Never one to dawdle over plot points when they can be folded into an explosive high-speed chase, Miller and co-writer Nico Lathouris also use that sequence to establish a quasi-romance between Furiosa and the dude at the war rig’s wheel, Praetorian Jack (an underused Tom Burke). —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024

Completion is the objective, so don’t dawdle when action is necessary. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

dawdle

verb

daw·​dle ˈdȯd-ᵊl 

dawdled; dawdling ˈdȯd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to spend time wastefully or idly : linger

dawdled over her homework

2

: to move slowly and aimlessly : loiter

dawdled on the way back

3

: idle entry 2 sense 1

dawdle the time away

dawdler

ˈdȯd-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

noun