as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the dawdling pace of the movie was really making us restless
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in loafing
to spend time doing nothing
accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dawdling
Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Faster pit stops could also help unlock sales for electric two-wheelers, which have been slow to catch on due to dawdling charge times and limited riding range.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Mar. 2023
Adjective
The third and final wave of a dawdling Pacific storm will hit San Diego County Thursday afternoon, wrapping up four days of soaking rains, heavy snow, tree-snapping winds and lightning that arced through the darkest hours of the night, the National Weather Service says.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
Indeed, Ederson has moments where he can be caught dawdling with the ball, hoping for an opening that doesn’t always arrive.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Faster pit stops could also help unlock sales for electric two-wheelers, which have been slow to catch on due to dawdling charge times and limited riding range.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdling
Adjective
-
Streaming shows — with their more leisurely pace and longer arcs — have simply been able to come by and iterate.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
Each suite has a double whirlpool tub, fireplace, refrigerator, private bathroom, and outdoor terrace for leisurely romantic homemade breakfasts that get delivered to your room.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
And while research shows that exercise supports healthy sleep by regulating body temperature, mood, metabolism and circadian rhythm, Weiner cautions that exercising too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep by delaying sleep onset, shortening sleep duration and lowering overall sleep quality.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
The remaining providers are stretched thin, and patients are traveling farther for care — often delaying prenatal visits or arriving in labor without adequate support.—
Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams,
STAT,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Martin removed his right fielder for loafing on a ball hit to the outfield.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
Kids who used to run to the field excited to play, suddenly started loafing to the field wearing their crocs with their heads buried in their phones.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Virgo moon invites you to take a slower pace today.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
-
The Targaryen civil war has been a bit of a slow burn so far, though both sides of the family have suffered major casualties.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Verb
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But for a growing number of older people, those retirement years are arriving with lingering debt problems attached.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
-
Irving remains on the roster amid lingering questions about his future after missing all of last season.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
The roar gave way to brooms scraping asphalt, trucks idling and fans comparing videos on their phones.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2026
-
Last week's sell-off was triggered on Wednesday by idling – though robust – revenue projections from chipmaker Broadcom and may have been exacerbated by a call from artificial intelligence startup Anthropic for the sector to slow down its pace of advancements .—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Yet the latest round of fighting has underscored the group’s resilience, dragging Lebanon into a regional war and drawing the Israeli military back to a familiar southern Lebanon terrain.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
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According to the criminal complaint, the boy told police Diggs began choking him before dragging him into the nearby alley.—
Jessica Riley,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Verb
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Based on the Los Angeles and Atlanta terminals, travelers on domestic flights typically spend one hour lounging before going through security, and those on international flights take about 90 minutes, Porter said.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
-
Beautifully landscaped, it shifts from shallow lounging areas suitable for children into deeper sections for proper swimming.—
Arion McNicoll,
TheWeek,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dawdling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdling. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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