dawdle

daw·dle

verb \ˈdȯ-d^əl\

daw·dleddaw·dling \ˈdȯ-dliŋ, -d^əl-iŋ\

Definition of DAWDLE

intransitive verb

1

: to spend time idly

2

: to move lackadaisically

transitive verb

: to spend fruitlessly or lackadaisically <dawdled the day away>

— daw·dler \ˈdȯ-dlər, -d^əl-ər\ noun

Examples of DAWDLE

1. Hurry up! There's no time to dawdle.
2. Come home immediately after school, and don't dawdle.

Origin of DAWDLE

origin unknown

First Known Use: circa 1656

Related to DAWDLE

Synonyms

crawl, creep, dally, delay, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag (also lallygag), mope, poke, shilly-shally, tarry

Antonyms

barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten, hotfoot (it), hurry, race, rip, rocket, run, rush, scoot, scud, scurry, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, whiz (or whizz), zip

Related Words

fiddle (around), fool around, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle; hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge; amble, ease, inch, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stagger, stroll; decelerate, slow (down or up); filibuster, procrastinate, stall, temporize

Near Antonyms

bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede; gallop, jog, run, sprint, trot; accelerate, quicken, speed (up); catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake

See Synonym Discussion at delay

Rhymes with DAWDLE

caudal, caudle