Synonyms of shilly-shallies

shilly-shallies

verb

present tense third-person singular of shilly-shally

1

as in hesitates

to show uncertainty about the right course of action

I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hesitates
• falters
• wabbles
• hangs back
• debates
• vacillates
• waits
• wavers
• balances
• chickens (out)
• staggers
• pauses
• halts
• scruples
• wobbles
• dithers
• backs down
• teeters
• sways
• delays
• lingers
• procrastinates
• hems
• ponders
• weighs
• dawdles
• oscillates
• deliberates
• dallies
• haws
• hedges
• waffles
• pussyfoots
• considers
• equivocates

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• plunges (in)
• dives (in)
• decides
• continues
• advances
• stirs
• budges

2

as in delays

to move or act slowly

with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set

Synonyms & Similar Words

• delays
• lingers
• crawls
• pokes
• drags
• hangs fire
• marks time
• lollygags
• dillydallies
• strolls
• lallygags
• drops behind
• lags
• creeps
• plays
• falls behind
• loiters
• drags one's heels
• dawdles
• stalls
• shuffles
• mopes
• diddles
• lounges
• dallies
• tarries
• drags one's feet
• takes one's time
• potters (around)
• slows (down or up)
• fiddles (around)
• hangs (around or out)
• putters (around)
• staggers
• monkeys (around)
• fools around
• idles
• messes around
• inches
• temporizes
• loafs
• trifles
• saunters
• decelerates
• ambles
• lolls
• eases
• procrastinates
• plods
• lumbers
• filibusters

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• courses
• barrels
• races
• tears
• careers
• rushes
• speeds
• flies
• runs
• hastens
• rockets
• rips
• bolts
• hurries
• scurries
• dashes
• bowls
• zips
• whizzes
• whisks
• darts
• hotfoots (it)
• scoots
• whirls
• scuds
• hurtles
• scrambles
• humps
• speeds (up)
• hustles
• breezes
• runs
• jogs
• sprints
• stampedes
• trots
• gallops
• accelerates
• quickens
• catches up
• outstrips
• overtakes
• outpaces
• outruns
• fast-forwards