shilly-shally

1 of 4

adverb

: in an irresolute, undecided, or hesitating manner

shilly-shally

2 of 4

adjective

shilly-shally

3 of 4

verb

shilly-shallied; shilly-shallying

intransitive verb

1
: to show hesitation or lack of decisiveness or resolution
2
: dawdle

shilly-shally

4 of 4

noun

Did you know?

Shall I? Shall I? When you just don't know what to do, it may feel as if asking that question twice will somehow help you decide. The 17th century saw the use of the phrase "stand shall I, shall I" to describe vacillation or indecision. By that century's end, the phrase had been altered to "shill I, shall I," most likely because people just liked the vowel alteration (that's the same process that gave us dillydally and wishy-washy). Soon after, the adverbial shilly-shally made the jump from slang to literature and writers began applying it as an adjective, a noun, and a verb as well.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

irregular reduplication of shall I

First Known Use

Adverb

1700, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1734, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1754, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1755, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shilly-shally was in 1700

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Dictionary Entries Near shilly-shally

Cite this Entry

“Shilly-shally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shilly-shally. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shilly-shally

verb
ˈshil-ē-ˌshal-ē
shilly-shallied; shilly-shallying
: to be unable to make up one's mind : show hesitation
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