1
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
don't dillydally on the way to the store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
restaurant employees who, during the slow periods, would rather be doing something instead of just dillydallying
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 dillydally
There was the tapping of the top of the bat to his toes, scribbling in the dirt, adjusting his gloves and swiping his shoulder, among other displays of dillydallying.
—
Anna Brand, CNN, 30 Mar. 2023
Bathroom breaks and other excuses for dillydallying give your heart rate a chance to return to normal.
—Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan, 22 May 2015
Anna Brand, CNN, 30 Mar. 2023
Bathroom breaks and other excuses for dillydallying give your heart rate a chance to return to normal.
—Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan, 22 May 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dillydally
Verb
-
Medical examiners ruled two other deaths in January and February to be from natural causes, but a Miami Herald investigation found evidence of substandard or delayed medical care.—
Claire Healy,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
-
Abrego Garcia's lawyers had asked the judge Friday to delay his release, warning that the Trump administration had made conflicting statements about whether he will be deported after he is released ahead of a trial.—
Melissa Quinn
June 30,
CBS News,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
This slight chance of thunderstorms lingers into Wednesday as the upper low passes over the region.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
9 July 2025
-
But there are still lingering worries about how long Amazon and Apple will keep movies in theaters before sending them to streaming.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
As if aware that engaging plot is not the story’s strongest suit, Nicholaw keeps his foot on the accelerator throughout, making sure nothing and no one dawdles as the production hurtles from one incident to the next.—
David Benedict,
Variety,
24 June 2025
-
Some of this feels more like dawdling: What's the point of Stick's cynical old buddy (Marc Maron) getting trapped under a fold-out bed?—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
Progress with Canada has been a roller coaster, with the U.S. president poking at the nation’s northern neighbor and repeatedly suggesting it would be absorbed as a U.S. state.—
Michelle L. Price,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
-
Johnson immediately returned to social media Wednesday night to post a series of rambling videos discussing his arrest and seemingly poking at Rogan without addressing him directly.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
Are you bummed to see Farmhouse Fixer leave the network’s lineup?—
Rebecca Luther,
TVLine,
26 June 2025
-
The graduate is not only bummed about the sister’s absence.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
People.com,
25 May 2025
Verb
-
In particular, website owners and SEO experts wanted to know how Cloudflare planned to block Google's bot from scraping sites to fuel AI overviews without risking blocking the same bot from crawling for valuable search engine placements.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 July 2025
-
Both are unable, under any circumstances, to resist crawling under someone doing a downward-facing dog.—
Erika Sjule,
New Yorker,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
When only two vehicles remain on the far edge of the lot, the woman twists the key in the ignition and the idling car shudders still.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
30 June 2025
-
Buyers’ expertise is accelerating while most sellers are still idling.—
Aman Rangrass,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
That’s good for everyone, even expat journalists dragging their kids along to cover a new story.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
-
The plucky little superdog drags Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, where he is treated by a posse of robots.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dillydally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dillydally. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share