dillydallying 1 of 2

adjective

as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed the dillydallying congress hadn't passed any legislation, and the term was almost over

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dillydallying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dillydally
1
as in delaying
to move or act slowly don't dillydally on the way to the store

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dawdling
to spend time doing nothing restaurant employees who, during the slow periods, would rather be doing something instead of just dillydallying

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dillydallying
  1. leisurely
  2. delaying
  3. dawdling
  4. slow
  5. lingering
  6. idling
  7. dragging
  8. lounging
Adjective
  • These are communities where leisurely mornings are encouraged, and rocking chairs on front porches are plentiful.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2026
  • All talk of business and politics are set aside in favor of conversations about food and other leisurely pursuits.
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of leisurely
Verb
  • Sacramento Regional Transit will adjust six bus routes beginning Sunday, including delaying departure times and eliminating one early-morning trip from Florin.
    — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The discovery prevented the plane from being moved on schedule, delaying a flight and forcing JetBlue to use a different aircraft instead, according to the affidavit, an interruption estimated to cost the airline over $2,400.
    — Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of delaying
Verb
  • Indeed, Ederson has moments where he can be caught dawdling with the ball, hoping for an opening that doesn’t always arrive.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026
  • Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Definition of dawdling
Adjective
  • Researchers used the device to process time-series data, including signals that contained both rapid and slow changes.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Aug. 2026
  • However, there is another, slower and more insidious evacuation taking place, and that is the steady migration from rural areas all around the world to burgeoning cities, which now host more than half the world’s population.
    — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of slow
Verb
  • Starting in Arraez’s place was Basabe, who has spent more time with the club than originally anticipated due to Matt Chapman’s lingering abdominal strain.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Skubal’s arrival answers whatever lingering questions there were about the Dodgers’ quest for a third straight title, as well as ones yet to pop up.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • A couple blocks away there are at least nine police cars, parked, idling.
    — Sydney Brownstone, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Effects of laws against idling In short, anti-idling laws target potentially severe pollution health risks from what is generally a wasteful practice of convenience.
    — Richard Marcantonio, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
Definition of idling
Verb
  • That wider perspective matters, because sovereignty isn't achieved simply by dragging every service into the spare room.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The video opens with Itami dragging a half-conscious Burke by his legs and delivering him to a young couple on a crime spree.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of dragging
Verb
  • The beach was packed, many vacationers lounging near the turquoise waters when the drone slammed into the white sand and burst into a fireball.
    — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The 59-year-old actress posed topless while lounging by the pool during her Fiji Islands getaway with Van Hunt.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of lounging
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.

Browse Nearby Words

dillydally
dillydallying
dilute
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Cite this Entry

“Dillydallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dillydallying. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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