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 of loiter

• linger
• delay
• crawl
• drag
• poke

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

At a recent defense expo outside Seoul, the defense arm of Korean Air – yes, South Korea’s largest passenger airline – showed off a line of drones, everything from human-sized loitering munitions to a loyal wingman of its own. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025

According to the friend, Geyser injured her foot during the trip and wasn't able to go on any longer, and they were detained at a truck stop after someone called the police on them for loitering. —Lauren Victory, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025

Officers arrested Mitchell after responding to a call of individuals loitering in front of a store around 146 Dorchester Ave. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 24 Nov. 2025

Authorities arrested Geyser while responding to a report of a man and a woman loitering behind a building, the Posen Police Department said in a social media post. —Greg Wehner , Christina Shaw , Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 23 Nov. 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