shilly-shally 1 of 3

verb

Definition of shilly-shallynext
1
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to delay
to move or act slowly with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shilly-shally

2 of 3

noun

as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action the construction project was once again delayed by the bureaucratic shilly-shally of regulatory agencies

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shilly-shally

3 of 3

adjective

as in shilly-shallying

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shally
  1. hesitate
  2. delay
  3. hesitation
  4. ambivalent
  5. falter
  6. linger
  7. hesitancy
  8. random
Verb
  • The reasons customers hesitate, why deals stall, or what causes operational issues to repeat themselves are often revealed in conversation, not in structured fields.
    — Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • People interrupt each other, hesitate to speak up, overlook important perspectives, or drift away from the purpose of the meeting.
    — Alison Wood Brooks, Harvard Business Review, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of hesitate
Verb
  • An Iranian military official said that Qatar has been delaying a probe into the fate of three pilots, whom Iran says have been held there for months, according to state media.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The opening of the Wynn Al Marjan Island has been delayed to September 2027.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of delay
Noun
  • Founders will notice hesitation, enthusiasm, chemistry, confidence, uncertainty, who’s influencing the room, whether the customer is actually excited.
    — Alison Coleman, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • His flowering is optimal for someone who hosts a show called The Reluctant Traveler, and Levy and director David Brindley both agree that the comedian’s hesitations have waned — at least a little.
    — Matthew Jacobs, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of hesitation
Adjective
  • The powwow was more ambivalent than most Fourth of July celebrations.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • What reads at a casual distance as serene maternal tenderness shifts, on closer inspection, into something more ambivalent—a shade of melancholy that surfaces only when the eye lingers on Mary’s face.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of ambivalent
Verb
  • Should any of them falter from here on out — or any sort of injury hit the rotation — the Phillies would be in a poor spot given their thin starting pitching depth and narrow margins to make the postseason after multiple dismal stretches.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • But their turnout in Broward, the state’s last big remaining Democratic stronghold, faltered.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of falter
Verb
  • As the train gains elevation, dense coastal forest gradually gives way to alpine tundra, glacial lakes, rocky peaks, and, early in the season, lingering snowfields before reaching the White Pass Summit at 2,885 feet.
    — Bailey Berg, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The next chance of showers and storms arrives Thursday and lingers through the end of the workweek as much muggier-feeling weather blows back into Maryland.
    — Cutter Martin, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of linger
Noun
  • Two committee Republicans voiced hesitancy on Blanche Two committee Republicans placed conditions on supporting Blanche's pathway to a full Senate vote.
    — Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
  • During the panel, Flanagan shared that there were initial hesitancies about creating the series.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
Definition of hesitancy
Adjective
  • The backgrounds are sparse and artifical, with generous bloomed lighting and mist applied to seemingly random places.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Paralympic ticket sales will begin sometime in 2027 with a random draw or lottery, similar to how Olympic sales began.
    — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of random
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

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shilly-shally
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Cite this Entry

“Shilly-shally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shally. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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