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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
The painting shows a lush, verdant Italian landscape, whose richness allows even peasants to enjoy leisurely strolls along its paths.—
Tyler Green,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
-
For a leisurely day around town, style the pants with a casual ’90s-style tank top and comfortable sandals (or sneakers, if biking in open-toe shoes feels too ambitious).—
Kelsey Stewart,
Glamour,
20 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
-
Marcus tries to balance pushing Nick to keep playing while knowing his older brother has to do what’s best for him and his family.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Things get clubbier in the basement Music Room, all red velvet with an indoor-outdoor bar for smokers and a modelesque DJ playing pumping house on our visit.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
And that could cause localized flash flooding, delaying both ground and air travel.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
-
That works only if the athletes see the value in delaying their own gratification for the greater good.—
Jemele Hill,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
There is a significant amount of character lore and backstory to establish, much of it flirting with archetypes.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
-
That dispiriting news, coupled with consumer sentiment plunging to the lowest point ever recorded, should be enough to set off alarm bells and trigger talk of the economy flirting with recession.—
Greg Petro,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
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,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Mar. 2023
Adjective
-
Scratching high on the bridge, Werner’s splintering fiddle calls to mind the slow, magical hatching of an egg.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
-
The better play is slower and pays back forever.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
22 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 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
