loiter

verb

loi·​ter ˈlȯi-tər 

loitered; loitering; loiters

intransitive verb

1

: to delay an activity with idle stops and pauses : dawdle

asked him not to loiter on the way home

2

a

: to remain in an area for no obvious reason

teenagers loitering in the parking lot

b

: to lag behind

a crowd of people, who loitered to hear the bloodcurdling threats the prisoner shouted

—Willa Cather

loiter noun

loiterer

ˈlȯi-tər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• linger
• delay
• crawl
• poke
• drag
• stroll

Choose the Right Synonym for loiter

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 loiter in a Sentence

Loitering is prohibited outside the theaters.

don't loiter in this neighborhood after dark

Recent Examples on the Web

The woman accused in the case was seen loitering in alleys, peering in windows and possibly stealing someone’s package before the incident at about 4:20 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, the Ventura Police Department said in a news release. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2025

Meanwhile, Estrada was soon identified as a suspect, based on surveillance footage, eyewitnesses, and community accounts that she was known to be living in a white van on the street and would frequently loiter at the building. —Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 16 July 2025

According to Griffin, Act 255 of 2023 already makes loitering a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine or up to 30 days in prison. —arkansasonline.com, 10 July 2025

Russia and China have deployed vessels to waters around Japan, with both ships tracked loitering off the coast of the United States' ally, a Newsweek map shows. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for loiter

• goiter
• goitre
• exploiter
• reconnoiter
• reconnoitre

Kids Definition

loiter

verb

loi·​ter ˈlȯit-ər 

1

: to interrupt or delay an errand or a journey with pointless stops

2

a

: to remain in an area for no good reason

b

: to lag behind

loiterer noun

Legal Definition

loiter

intransitive verb

loi·​ter ˈlȯi-tər 

: to remain in or hang around an area for no obvious purpose

specifically : to linger for the purpose of committing a crime

a statute forbidding any person from loitering on school grounds