tarried; tarrying
1
a
: to delay or be tardy in acting or doing
b
: to linger in expectation : wait
2
: to abide or stay in or at a place
Examples of tarry in a Sentence
Verb
Tarry with us a while.
upon seeing the sun beginning to sink in the sky, we realized we had tarried too long on the summit of the mountain
Noun
a fable about the tarry of two Americans in a Scottish village that every century magically comes into existence for a day
Recent Examples on the Web
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Read More: 10 New Year's Traditions From Across the Globe
There was still much reason to pray after Jan. 1, 1863, and so tarrying in prayer on New Year’s Eve became an annual tradition.
—Nyya Toussaint / Made By History, TIME, 31 Dec. 2024
Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, 1 Sep. 2020
Ingestion of sago palm leaves, seeds or other plant parts causes liver failure, usually signaled by drooling, vomiting, diarrhea or a tarry black stool, depression, appetite loss, abdominal pain, lethargy and jaundice.
—Kim Campbell Thornton, sacbee, 14 Mar. 2018
See All Example Sentences for tarry
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Verb
America grew up with these boys and tarried with them through light and dark times.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Read More: 10 New Year's Traditions From Across the Globe
There was still much reason to pray after Jan. 1, 1863, and so tarrying in prayer on New Year’s Eve became an annual tradition.
—Nyya Toussaint / Made By History, TIME, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Often, Petite Sirah produces a wine that is too tarry, too dense, too chewy.
—Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, 1 Sep. 2020
Ingestion of sago palm leaves, seeds or other plant parts causes liver failure, usually signaled by drooling, vomiting, diarrhea or a tarry black stool, depression, appetite loss, abdominal pain, lethargy and jaundice.
—Kim Campbell Thornton, sacbee, 14 Mar. 2018
See All Example Sentences for tarry
Cite this Entry
“Tarry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tarry. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tarry
1 of 2 verb
tar·ry
ˈtar-ē 
tarried; tarrying
1
: to be slow in coming or going
2
: to stay in or at a place
tarry
2 of 2 adjective
tar·ry
ˈtär-ē
: of, resembling, or covered with tar
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