dilatory

dil·a·to·ry

adjective \ˈdi-lə-ˌtȯr-ē\

Definition of DILATORY

1

: tending or intended to cause delay <dilatory tactics>

2

: characterized by procrastination : tardy <dilatory in paying bills>

— dil·a·to·ri·ly \ˌdi-lə-ˈtȯr-ə-lē\ adverb

— dil·a·to·ri·ness \ˈdi-lə-ˌtȯr-ē-nəs\ noun

Examples of DILATORY

1. <the homeowner is claiming that local firefighters were dilatory in responding to the call>

Origin of DILATORY

Middle English, from Anglo-French dilatorie, Late Latin dilatorius, from Latin differre (past participle dilatus) to postpone, differ — more at differ, tolerate

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to DILATORY

Synonyms

crawling, creeping, dallying, dawdling, slow, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, lagging, languid, leisurely, poking, poky (or pokey), sluggish, snaillike, snail-paced, tardy, unhurried

Antonyms

barreling, bolting, breakneck, breathless, brisk, careering, dizzy, fast, fleet, flying, hasty, hurrying, lightning, meteoric, quick, racing, rapid, rocketing, running, rushing, scooting, scudding, scurrying, snappy, speeding, speedy, swift, warp-speed, whirling, whirlwind, whisking, zipping

Related Words

deliberate, measured; inactive, inert, lethargic, loafing, lounging; lingering, loitering, tarrying; ambling, heavy-footed, inching, plodding, shuffling, slow-footed; strolling; decelerating, slowing; filibustering, procrastinating, stalling

Near Antonyms

expeditious, prompt, ready; accelerated, hastened, quickened; hurried, rushed

Rhymes with DILATORY

a priori, allegory, amatory, auditory, bedtime story, cacciatore, castratory, category, con amore, cover story, crematory, damnatory, decretory, dormitory, excretory, expletory, feudatory, fumitory, Göteborg, gustatory, gyratory, horror story, hortatory, hunky-dory, inventory, laudatory, lavatory, mandatory, migratory, minatory, monitory, Montessori, morning glory, nugatory, offertory, oratory, overstory, piscatory, precatory, predatory, prefatory, probatory, promissory, promontory, purgatory, repertory, Ruwenzori, signatory, statutory, sudatory, territory, transitory, understory, vibratory, vomitory, yakitori