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

• crawl
• creep
• dally
• dawdle
• delay
• diddle
• dillydally
• drag
• lag
• linger
• lollygag
• lallygag
• mope
• poke
• shilly-shally
• tarry

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 post encouraged attendees to gather in the exterior golf course or leave the premises, but not loiter in vehicles. —Detroit Free Press, 7 Apr. 2024

When heat waves swept across large parts of the planet last summer, in many places the oppressive temperatures loitered for days or weeks at a time. —Delger Erdenesanaa, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024

And yes: Seeing a recognizable USA in tatters and ruins, not to mention a tank menacingly loitering on Park Avenue, will indeed chill you to the bone. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024

This kind of aerial threat has come to define the conflict in Ukraine, where Ukrainian and Russian forces are locked in an arms race involving large numbers of cheap drones capable of loitering autonomously before attacking a target by delivering an explosive payload. —Will Knight, WIRED, 1 Dec. 2023

Add in a few complicit physicians loitering nearby in lab coats and the illusion is complete. —Joel B. Zivot, STAT, 26 Feb. 2024

Two years into Russia’s wider war on Ukraine, explosive drones—loitering airplane-style models as well as first-person-view quadcopters—are among the biggest threats to armored vehicles on both sides. —David Axe, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

After 15 minutes of loitering outside, the bear moved on and walked away from the house. —Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023

But instead of another 32-yard run, Samuel loitered in the backfield. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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