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
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as in loafing
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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
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2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
don't dally on the way to the interview
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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
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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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Recent Examples of Synonyms for dallying
Adjective
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Streaming shows — with their more leisurely pace and longer arcs — have simply been able to come by and iterate.
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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.
Noun
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The researchers concluded that at least one of the keys to preventing social loafing is restoring individual responsibility within a group.
Verb
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Ella Bruccoleri may be playing a Bennet sister on TV, but the actress wasn’t always a fan of Jane Austen.
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According to court documents, Zimmerman was playing golf at the hotel's course throughout the day with friends.
Verb
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The company is a major investor in OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and a report in The New York Times suggested OpenAI is considering delaying an initial public offering of its stock to next year from the second half of this year.
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The company is a major investor in OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and a report in The New York Times suggested OpenAI is considering delaying an initial public offering of its stock to next year from the second half of this year.
Verb
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After nearly half a century of flirting with direct conflict, the United States finally went to war with Iran.
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Maybe someone is complimenting (or flirting with you) publicly, but controlling you behind the scenes.
Verb
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Indeed, Ederson has moments where he can be caught dawdling with the ball, hoping for an opening that doesn’t always arrive.
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Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.
Adjective
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What to expect over the weekend Though Friday was expected to be the slowest day of the competition, the atmosphere at Cal Expo was anything but dull.
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Some residents are calling for civilian volunteers to help clear debris, frustrated by the slow pace of the rescue operations.
Noun
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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.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Dallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dallying. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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