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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in loafing
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dallying
Adjective
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This was true, though on that particular visit the pain had to do mostly with the need to take the children to play areas buzzing with sounds and lights, with not having any leisurely meals or time to wander.—
Ayşegül Savaş,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025 -
Michigan residents and fall color enthusiasts have many ways to take in the rich fall tapestry across Michigan, among them several steam trains excursions that provide a leisurely trip cross country to view the leaves.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Graziadei, 46, is known for playing Daniel Romalotti in The Young and the Restless.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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As knowledgeable as Towns is about the infrastructure of the apparel industry, his priority is playing for and training with the New York Knicks.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Unusually warm and dry weather from late September into early October may be delaying peak fall color in some places, and could also result in a shorter, less vibrant season, said Adam Schneider, assistant professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, in a recent blog post.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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For many families and vulnerable individuals, the cost could be prohibitive, potentially delaying or blocking access.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Politicians have started flirting with the idea as well.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
7 Oct. 2025
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Hunt has been openly flirting with the possibility of running for Senate for months, rolling out a number of statewide ads.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Losing is so deeply ingrained in the fabric of this franchise that every slow start has the potential to snowball.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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His administration has seen some success; inflation in Argentina eased this year to the slowest monthly pace in more than four years.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Chad Molter, executive director of Boulder’s Harvest of Hope Pantry, is also worried about how the lingering government shutdown could surge demand.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
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After seeing consistent playing time following his February 2024 trade from Memphis and hitting a clutch 3-pointer to help Boston win Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals against Dallas, Tillman tumbled down the depth chart in 2024-25, the result of poor shooting and lingering knee issues.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The company also collaborated with Nike last month to launch an initial three core activewear collections and four seasonal collections, featuring pieces designed for everything from strength training and everyday workouts to lounging and running errands.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
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Imagine hosting a cozy dinner party under the stars, morning coffee with a view, or simply lounging with a good book in the sunshine—all without ever leaving your own space.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Dallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dallying. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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