procrastinate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word procrastinate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of procrastinate are dally, dawdle, delay, lag, and loiter. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.

procrastinates about making decisions

When could dally be used to replace procrastinate?

While the synonyms dally and procrastinate are close in meaning, dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary.

stop dallying and get to work

When might delay be a better fit than procrastinate?

In some situations, the words delay and procrastinate are roughly equivalent. However, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure).

we cannot delay any longer

When can lag be used instead of procrastinate?

While in some cases nearly identical to procrastinate, lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others.

lagging behind in technology

How are the words loiter and dawdle related as synonyms of procrastinate?

Both loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time.

loitered at several store windows
children dawdling on their way home from school

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 procrastinate Rather than pushing forward, some avoid completing tasks altogether, procrastinating, delaying decisions, or walking away before the finish line. Luciana Paulise, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025 If your child is procrastinating on homework, don’t yell at them, said Stixrud — instead, firmly and lovingly remind them of their responsibilities. Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025 Related article These people stopped procrastinating. Mary E. Dozier, CNN, 16 Mar. 2025 Up to 5,000 Loyalty Points from American Airlines Last-minute travel planners (and those who like to procrastinate) are being rewarded this month. Ramsey Qubein, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for procrastinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for procrastinate
Verb
  • Medical examiners ruled two other deaths in January and February to be from natural causes, but a Miami Herald investigation found evidence of substandard or delayed medical care.
    Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
  • Unable to stop the march toward passage of the 940-page bill, the Democrats as the minority party in Congress is using the tools at its disposal to delay and drag out the process.
    Glen Luke Flanagan, Fortune, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • After a decade of steady global growth, Tesla’s sales have stalled over the past year, dropping 13% in the first quarter.
    Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • While a design for a new bridge was previously selected, the project was stalled last year when construction bids came in higher than expected, according to Superintendent of Engineering Byron Kutz.
    Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • The next day, at 9:10 p.m., Boelter crawled out of a wooded area and surrendered to law enforcement.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 27 June 2025
  • To make the stakes even higher, Player 39 crawls to the edge after the round ends.
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Even as Beijing drags its feet on financial reforms, the chaos surrounding Trump 2.0 is making the case, day after day, for an alternative to the dollar.
    William Pesek, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Voting had come to a standstill, dragging for more than three hours, with holdout senators huddling for negotiations and taking private meetings off the Senate floor.
    Ani Freedman, Fortune, 29 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Procrastinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/procrastinate. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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