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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Saturdays in West End are no longer leisurely when the Commodores are playing.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
-
While the temporary set no longer stands, fans can still visit the farm to enjoy a leisurely hike or take in the lush green landscape.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Those taking GLP-1s showed a slower rise in breath alcohol during the first 10 to 20 minutes and lower overall levels throughout.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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Researchers highlighted the current challenges for OCTOID, including slow thermal response and potential fatigue of CLCEs, and the weight of nichrome wires limiting flexibility.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dilatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilatory. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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