as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the dallying diners seemed oblivious to the fact that other customers were impatiently waiting for tables
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in loafing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in playing
to engage in activity for amusement
he spent his college years dallying, seemingly determined to acquire as little knowledge as possible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
don't dally on the way to the interview
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flirting
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
she spent the summer dallying with a guy renting the neighboring beach house
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dawdling
to spend time doing nothing
I kept dallying at my desk until I couldn't put off doing my work any longer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dallying
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
Eventually, even the film itself seems over all of the dilly-dallying.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dallying
Adjective
-
They’re also covered in an airy mesh upper material that facilitates airflow during activities — including sweaty workouts and leisurely strolls.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
Yes, there are two international trips, including one to the literal other side of the world — a destination that makes Mexico City’s 7,200 feet of altitude seem like a leisurely stroll down the block, making the Niners the league’s official guinea pigs for global domination.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The researchers concluded that at least one of the keys to preventing social loafing is restoring individual responsibility within a group.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At a press conference Wednesday announcing the bill, lawmakers cited studies showing that the cost of playing youth sports has risen by 46% in five years, with many families paying more than $5,000 per child for a single season.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
The 16-year-old Sullivan collected his first career MLS goal, playing a cross to Ben Bender and finishing the return pass to cut the deficit to 3-2.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Electric propulsion also enables Blitz to have a low acoustic as well as infra-red signature, delaying detection.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
-
Temporarily delaying action on a state law that would open the door for a lot of homes to be built across the city.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Because if Vitello can’t handle a simple case of a star player forgetting the outs at a critical juncture of the game against an archrival, who is to say what will be accepted next for a team that’s already flirting with effective playoff elimination?—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
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Disney, which was in the process of buying ABC, was also flirting with launching a news network.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
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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,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Mar. 2023
Adjective
-
Pool service can be a bit slow during busy times, but once your perfectly prepared daiquiri arrives, all is forgiven.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
So future agreements could involve cooler normalisation, selective security cooperation, quieter diplomacy and a slower expansion.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The pup, named Eba, appeared immune to being rushed and trotted behind at the farthest extent of her leash, tongue lolling, black eyes squinting in the afternoon sun.—
Kelso Harper,
Scientific American,
16 Dec. 2025
-
After a few days of snorkeling and beach-lolling, the view from our helicopter transfer to the Miavana resort on the island of Nosy Ankao just off Madagascar’s northeast, painted an alarmingly different picture.—
Chris Schalkx,
Vogue,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dallying. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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