lollygag

verb

ˈlä-lē-ˌgag How to pronounce lollygag (audio)
variants also lallygag
Definition of lollygagnext
as in to delay
to move or act slowly accused the government of lollygagging while survivors of the earthquake continued to live in the most wretched conditions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 lollygag Knueppel didn’t seem to know how to lollygag through a workout, even one of the early-morning shootarounds where NBA players are just waking up. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lollygag
  1. delay
  2. linger
  3. crawl
  4. drag
  5. poke
  6. dawdle
  7. stroll
Verb
  • When that first weekend closure did happen, Sunday night rain did not delay the lanes’ opening early Monday.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 19 July 2026
  • The midfielder was deemed to have delayed a restart by throwing the ball away.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • The floods drew attention to still unhealed wounds — and lingering regrets.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • But perhaps the performance that lingers most in our minds is that of Elliot Page, 39, who in just a few short scenes anchors the film with his guileless sincerity and righteous anger.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 July 2026
Definition of linger
Verb
  • Tents As a teenager, crawling into a small A-frame tent was a rite of passage.
    — Clay Abney, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2026
  • With fervent editing, careful scene geography, and assured direction, the walk before the run can be tense enough to send viewers crawling out of their seats, willing the fugitive onscreen to get a move on already.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • The untethered AUVs hover above the seabed instead of dragging equipment across it, reducing sediment disturbance and limiting ecosystem disruption.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 July 2026
  • Overall, the plan is on par with a request the White House submitted to Congress last month, as the Iran war drags past four months.
    — Kevin Freking, Fortune, 15 July 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • Her breasts poke at the thin fabric of her gown, and there are shadows in the folds of the bed linen.
    — Diane Williams, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
  • This included one of their players poking a finger into the ear of the Belgian penalty-spot protector Diego Moreira, and responding to the reactionary elbow to the tummy by going down, and staying down, on top of the penalty mark.
    — Geir Jordet, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • But, lucky for anyone who dawdled, many of the deals are still active.
    — Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 June 2026
  • No time to dawdle while finding your credit score!
    — Clio Chang, Curbed, 17 June 2026
Definition of dawdle
Verb
  • For shade from Rome’s blistering sun, avoid the city center and stroll through the gardens of Villa Borghese or the Giardino Degli Aranci.
    — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 July 2026
  • Visitors can also see more wildlife while strolling along the dunes.
    — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2026
Definition of stroll

Browse Nearby Words

lolly
lollygag
lollygagged
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Cite this Entry

“Lollygag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lollygag. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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