Synonyms of shilly-shallying

shilly-shallying 1 of 3

noun

as in hesitation

a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action

fortunately, during the crisis there was no shilly-shallying on the part of the president

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hesitation
• hesitancy
• pause
• hesitance
• delay
• indecision
• vacillation
• shilly-shally
• wavering
• deliberation
• irresolution
• wabbling
• uncertainty
• wobbling
• fence-sitting
• faltering
• waiting
• doubt
• procrastination
• reluctance
• hawing
• indecisiveness
• debate
• incertitude
• consideration
• second thought
• indetermination
• unwillingness
• timidity
• avoidance
• faintheartedness
• arrière-pensée
• uncertainness
• indisposition
• misgiving
• equivocation
• timidness
• shyness
• disinclination
• aversion

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• resolution
• certainty
• determination
• confidence
• certitude
• firmness
• decisiveness
• eagerness
• readiness
• resoluteness
• sureness
• alacrity

shilly-shallying

2 of 3

adjective

as in ambivalent

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ambivalent
• shilly-shally
• random
• shaky
• haphazard
• hesitating
• aimless
• wavering
• desultory
• vacillating
• scattered
• stray
• arbitrary
• unreliable
• slapdash
• untrustworthy
• erratic
• dicey
• uncertain
• volatile
• hit-or-miss
• undependable
• unpredictable
• inconsistent
• capricious
• variable
• mercurial
• irregular
• temperamental
• fickle
• mutable
• changeful
• changeable
• inconstant
• unstable
• fluctuating
• skittish
• fluid
• versatile
• protean
• mobile
• unsettled
• unsteady
• adaptable
• flickery

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• certain
• constant
• invariable
• predictable
• steady
• immutable
• stable
• stationary
• unchangeable
• unchanging
• settled
• uniform
• even
• unvarying
• permanent
• persistent
• abiding
• changeless
• lasting
• durable
• sure
• equable
• reliable
• true
• dependable
• trusty
• trustworthy
• tried
• tried-and-true

shilly-shallying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of shilly-shally

1

as in hesitating

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

• hesitating
• faltering
• dithering
• vacillating
• debating
• wavering
• waiting
• staggering
• balancing
• halting
• pausing
• wabbling
• scrupling
• wobbling
• hanging back
• teetering
• lingering
• swaying
• procrastinating
• delaying
• dawdling
• pondering
• deliberating
• hemming
• dallying
• hawing
• weighing
• waffling
• backing down
• pussyfooting
• oscillating
• hedging
• considering
• equivocating
• chickening (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• deciding
• diving (in)
• stirring
• plunging (in)
• continuing
• advancing
• budging

2

as in delaying

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

• delaying
• lingering
• poking
• crawling
• dragging
• strolling
• dawdling
• creeping
• dillydallying
• moping
• dallying
• shuffling
• tarrying
• lagging
• lallygagging
• lollygagging
• loitering
• diddling
• playing
• stalling
• marking time
• hanging fire
• falling behind
• lounging
• dropping behind
• staggering
• idling
• dragging one's heels
• trifling
• taking one's time
• loafing
• dragging one's feet
• temporizing
• ambling
• sauntering
• fiddling (around)
• procrastinating
• fooling around
• hanging (around or out)
• puttering (around)
• pottering (around)
• lolling
• inching
• plodding
• monkeying (around)
• slowing (down or up)
• filibustering
• messing around
• decelerating
• easing
• lumbering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rushing
• hurrying
• hastening
• whirling
• tearing
• flying
• scurrying
• careering
• dashing
• speeding
• bolting
• running
• rocketing
• racing
• ripping
• scooting
• scudding
• zipping
• whizzing
• scrambling
• darting
• whisking
• hurtling
• coursing
• barreling
• hustling
• bowling
• galloping
• humping
• stampeding
• trotting
• breezing
• barrelling
• running
• jogging
• hotfooting (it)
• sprinting
• accelerating
• quickening
• speeding (up)
• overtaking
• outstripping
• outpacing
• outrunning
• catching up
• fast-forwarding