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
  • Conditions that are too cold might delay proofing or rising, resulting in a super-dense loaf.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Cellphone use before bed delays the natural drop in cortisol that teenagers need to fall asleep, according to Alice Hoagland, PhD, director of the Insomnia Clinic at the Rochester Regional Sleep Disorder Center.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • In astrology, Venus governs love, pleasure, money, relationships and values, while Pluto exposes what’s lingering beneath the surface.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Any lingering hope that Netanyahu could be convinced to take part in such an endeavor now looks for the birds.
    — Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of linger
Verb
  • Past that, Xbox has to figure out how to crawl out of the hole that is its console market, which has cratered in recent years.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The feat, says study coauthor and NSO senior scientist Friedrich Wöger, is equivalent to seeing ants crawling on Earth’s surface from an altitude of 100 miles (about 160 km).
    — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • The complainant, who was not identified in the initial case report, said Celeste was attacked by a dog and dragged through the woods.
    — Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In March, as the criminal investigation dragged on and many wondered if Burke would ever face charges, Jane, the girl who frequently messaged with Burke before Rivas Hernandez, dreamt about him on his birthday.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • At first glance, corals present as little more than colorful rocks — piles of lobes, stalagmites, and branches poking out from the seafloor.
    — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Even in the bathrooms, the toilet and bidet are concealed inside a kind of Travertine bench and the showerhead pokes out from a monolithic stone slab.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 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
  • New this year, for the first weekend of the fair, a strolling piano — a performer riding around a moving piano playing and singing — will be moving throughout the fair, Casey said.
    — Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Construction fences and barriers are mostly gone, traffic is flowing, pedestrians are strolling and a dozen new businesses have opened along the corridor, with several more on the way.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 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 11 Aug. 2026.

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