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
  • More than 350 flights were canceled or delayed at Moscow airports, local media reported, as planes were grounded in response to incoming drones.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Green denied that characterization and declined to elaborate on the challenges that delayed the delivery beyond the missing money.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • Christmas decorations linger into summer, and grasses grow high through rusting cars.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The orchard and cidery serves pizzas and pastas alongside hot or cold cider, and hosts live music as folks linger along the outdoor tables with drinks and games.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of linger
Verb
  • In May 2025, after Williams shut off the water in a cell, 10 inmates removed a toilet, crawled through a gap in the wall and scaled a fence out of the jail.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • At the hospital, an insect fell from the girl’s shoe, and a staffer saw a cockroach crawling on her, the district attorney’s office said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • Dozens of locations in the central and southern US will soar to record high temperatures on Tuesday, but the incoming front will drag those highs down by more than 30 degrees in many locales by Friday or Saturday.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
  • As the comet rotates, fresh ice enters the sunlight and sublimates; the escaping gas then drags entrained dust particles away from the nucleus.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • Some, including the Idaho Potato Commission, swear that the way a baked potato is opened affects the texture, eschewing a knife for a fork to gently poke a plus sign into the surface.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
  • From ceviche and poke to pasta and tacos, the menu revolves around the catch of the day, which is sourced from local markets.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • Gvardiol looked jittery early on, rallied a little to break up some dangerous Porto attacks, but then started giving the ball away again and was booked for a needless pull after being caught dawdling in possession.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Don’t dawdle, though, as the air temperature in the room or your warm hand on the glass can transfer their thermal energy to melt the rest of the ice and then begin to raise the temperature of your drink!
    — Matthew Koss, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of dawdle
Verb
  • One early Saturday morning in June of 2025, a pair of very small raccoon cubs, about six weeks old, were strolling around the yard, exploring their world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Vision loses control of Ultron’s prison, and Ultron strolls free.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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