loll

1 of 2

verb

lolled; lolling; lolls

intransitive verb

1
: to hang loosely or laxly : droop
a dog with its tongue lolling out
2
: to act or move in a lax, lazy, or indolent manner : lounge
He lolled around in his pajamas all day.

transitive verb

: to let droop or dangle
lolled his tongue out in contempt
loller noun

loll

2 of 2

noun

archaic
: the act of lolling : a relaxed posture

Did you know?

Loll has origins similar to another soothing verb, lull, which means "to cause to rest or sleep." Both probably originated as imitations of the soft sounds people make when resting or trying to soothe someone else to sleep. Loll shares synonyms with a number of l verbs, including loaf, lounge, and laze.

Choose the Right Synonym for loll

idle, loaf, lounge, loll, laze mean to spend time doing nothing.

idle may be used in reference to persons that move lazily or without purpose.

idled the day away

loaf suggests either resting or wandering about as though there were nothing to do.

she does her work and then loafs the rest of the day

lounge, though occasionally used as equal to idle or loaf, typically conveys an additional implication of resting or reclining against a support or of physical comfort and ease in relaxation.

he lounged against the wall

loll also carries an implication of a posture similar to that of lounge, but places greater stress upon an indolent or relaxed attitude.

lolling on the couch

laze usually implies the relaxation of a busy person enjoying a vacation or moments of leisure.

lazed about between appointments

Examples of loll in a Sentence

Verb a dog with its tongue lolling out Her head was lolling to one side. She was lolling by the pool. He lolled about in his pajamas all day.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
After flashing to Carti — wearing two Band-Aids on his cheeks a la rapper Nelly — spilling his red Solo cup drink near a luxury SUV, the scene cuts back to Madonna in a penthouse apartment, lolling on a couch and pointing the camera with a cane. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Feb. 2024 But where plushy, traditional neck pillows fall short is in failing to offer stability to your neck, which can lead to your head lolling around and causing discomfort. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2024 Adding a grinning dog, tongue lolling out, will make your snapshots much more likely to get likes. Mary Jo Dilonardo, Treehugger, 2 Jan. 2024 The photographs of kayakers lolling among orca dorsal fins commonly featured in Alaskan and British Columbian travel brochures portray resident whales. Glen Martin, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 The lions, which have friendly jowls and lolling tongues, appear to be almost smiling. Daniel Brook, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2023 Leave everything in the default settings, and the wagon will prioritize electric driving, lolling quietly down the road until juice runs low or the right pedal gets pushed in anger—a clever icon on the digital cluster's power gauge marks the point where more throttle will engage the engine. Andrew Krok, Car and Driver, 29 Aug. 2023 As the younger residents loll around naked in a field reading Harry Potter books, stretch out by the pond guzzling champagne or play tennis in their formal dinner wear, Oliver starts imagining that kind of idle high life for himself. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 For most of the warm part of the afternoon, the mercury lolled about in the middle or upper 80s. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 3 July 2023
Noun
As a wildlife photographer, such a magical setting, where whales reliably breach and loll about in epic numbers, remains high on the list of my favorite sights in the world. Crai S. Bower, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Feb. 2024 And what is Christmas, anyway, if not an excuse to take a break from serving up hard ’fits, and just loll about in stained sweatpants until the dawn of the new year? Emma Specter, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2023 That’s because the university’s posh set loll about campus in the sloppy-chic trends and labels of the mid-aughts. Fawnia Soo Hoo, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023 Families loll there, play music there, eat there, entertain there, gossip there, lose at cards there, sleep there. Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023 His old Dodge van brings provisions up the steep and bumpy dirt road to his cabin, about a mile from the marina, as eagles soar overhead and harbor and elephant seals loll on the beach. New York Times, 8 June 2021 The world’s tiniest monkeys, called pygmy marmosets, scamper over branches, and the world’s largest rodents, capybaras, loll along riverbanks. Manuela Andreoni Erin Schaff, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2023 The two take long walks in sumptuous gardens and loll around museums. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 June 2022 Hope Vineyard or loll by the 60-foot-long swimming pool that opened just in time for summer. Sharon Boorstin, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loll.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1709, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loll was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near loll

Cite this Entry

“Loll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loll. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

loll

verb
ˈläl
1
: to hang or let hang loosely : droop
2
: to recline, lean, or move in a loose or lazy manner : lounge
loll around in the sun

More from Merriam-Webster on loll

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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