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
-
Congress allocated money for it, but billions of dollars were delayed due to the shutdown.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Bogey’s Image, ridden by Teddy Davies, appeared to win, only for a lengthy stewards’ inquiry to delay the result as spectators waited along the rails.—
Michael Howes,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Its slow pace raised concerns about how long the storm would linger in the region, and the amount of damage that could cause.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
His remarks came as uncertainty still lingers about how long the Iran war would last.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.—
Thomas Black,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
-
My request to ownership is don’t dawdle.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In addition to being concerned about targeting, is there a sense from other people in the country that some Shias had brought this on themselves by supporting Hezbollah, and that Hezbollah dragged this country into the war?—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The paraeducator said Vaughn-Marcella allegedly grabbed the boy’s feet and dragged him 10 to 12 feet out of the classroom, according to the affidavit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On March 17, a video obtained by TMZ showed LaBeouf in a hotel lobby in Rome, Italy, wearing only his underwear and trying to bum a light for a cigarette.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Spring cleaning bumming you out?—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Officers poked a hole in the bag and found the elder Ordonez's body.—
Annasofia Scheve,
San Antonio Express-News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
France has one of the highest top income tax rates in the European Union and Briere’s treatment sparked a flurry of social media commentary in France, with some poking fun at the taxman’s pursuit of the government’s dues.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Days passed and bombs kept falling, while oil tankers idled on either side of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had effectively closed in retaliation for the war launched by Israel and the United States.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Many wells remain the responsibility of active oil and gas field operators and are subject to idle well management plans, bonding requirements and escalating plugging obligations under recent legislation.—
Tim Rathmann,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Another dealt with someone breaking up with her to get back with his ex, only to come crawling back.—
Brittany Levine Beckman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The town was crawling with boy band members, Mickey Mouse Clubbers and future Disney Channel stars.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dillydally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dillydally. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
