dawdle

verb

daw·​dle ˈdȯ-dᵊl 

dawdled; dawdling ˈdȯ-dliŋ 

-dᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to spend time idly

… dawdled about in the vestibule …

—Jane Austen

2

: to move lackadaisically

"I don't want you dawdling while you making deliveries for Mrs. Ford."

—Connie Porter

transitive verb

: to spend fruitlessly or lackadaisically

dawdled the day away

dawdler

ˈdȯ-dlər 

-dᵊl-ər

noun

Synonyms

• delay
• linger
• crawl
• drag
• poke

Choose the Right Synonym for dawdle

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 dawdle in a Sentence

Hurry up! There's no time to dawdle.

Come home immediately after school, and don't dawdle.

Recent Examples on the Web

As if aware that engaging plot is not the story’s strongest suit, Nicholaw keeps his foot on the accelerator throughout, making sure nothing and no one dawdles as the production hurtles from one incident to the next. —David Benedict, Variety, 24 June 2025

Some of this feels more like dawdling: What's the point of Stick's cynical old buddy (Marc Maron) getting trapped under a fold-out bed? —Tom Gliatto, People.com, 4 June 2025

According to PitchBook, venture capital deals dawdled in 2024—fewer funding deals took place, but those that did tended to have higher valuations. —Zoya Hasan, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025

Instead, season three of The White Lotus dawdles too long, trying to save too much of the good stuff for the end. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for dawdle

• caudal
• caudle
• model
• twaddle
• waddle
• remodel

Kids Definition

dawdle

verb

daw·​dle ˈdȯd-ᵊl 

dawdled; dawdling ˈdȯd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to spend time wastefully or idly : linger

dawdled over her homework

2

: to move slowly and aimlessly : loiter

dawdled on the way back

3

: idle entry 2 sense 1

dawdle the time away

dawdler

ˈdȯd-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

noun