as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
the homeowner is claiming that local firefighters were dilatory in responding to the call
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Recent Examples of dilatory
And some parents-to-be, either superstitious or simply dilatory, hesitate to purchase baby items far in advance.
—
New York Times, 29 Dec. 2021
What makes this dilatory pace unfathomable is that Democrats know the disastrous implications of the loss of a single Senate seat in the midst of a legislative battle.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 27 Oct. 2021
Near the end of the meeting on Tuesday, Allard stopped testimony by raising a point of information and asking a series of procedural questions, a move LaFrance said was dilatory.
—Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Oct. 2021
State and local governments have been even more dilatory.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 7 Aug. 2021
See All Example Sentences for dilatory
New York Times, 29 Dec. 2021
What makes this dilatory pace unfathomable is that Democrats know the disastrous implications of the loss of a single Senate seat in the midst of a legislative battle.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 27 Oct. 2021
Near the end of the meeting on Tuesday, Allard stopped testimony by raising a point of information and asking a series of procedural questions, a move LaFrance said was dilatory.
—Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Oct. 2021
State and local governments have been even more dilatory.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 7 Aug. 2021
See All Example Sentences for dilatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilatory
Adjective
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Moroney crafted a rough melody for that section, and her friends all chipped in in leisurely fashion.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
15 Aug. 2025
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Take a leisurely walk through the bucolic pastureland and enjoy watching these beautiful gentle creatures enjoy their home.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Three organic meats are on offer for Sunday roast: slow roasted Black Angus, with creamed horseradish; succulent Tamworth Pork with bramley apple sauce and Texel Lamb with a classic mint sauce.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Burrow hopes that feeling the rush and gaining real reps working the pocket will help lessen the impact of opening-week clunkers that contributed to the team’s slow starts.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dilatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilatory. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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