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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  • At the same time, borrowers are reporting increasing problems and errors that are delaying or derailing their ability to maintain access to affordable repayment plan programs and student loan forgiveness.
    — Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • State lawmakers argued that schools should not be delaying reporting AI nudes until their own probes end but rather should be required to promptly tip off police, who are better positioned to investigate the crimes.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 July 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
  • The slow pace continued for a while, but eventually, Punk took down Rhodes with a leaping heel kick and tweaked his knee.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Long days were spent cleaning, drawing and waiting for customers during slow periods, all while mastering a craft that permanently alters another person’s body.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 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
  • This seems especially true if there are hiccups in correct window measurement or ordering, which can lead to long delays and projects dragging on and on.
    — Jason Rueger, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • At Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz County, a lifeguard was captured on video dragging a boy out of the water in a harrowing rescue.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 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 6 Aug. 2026.

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