shilly-shallying 1 of 3

noun

Definition of shilly-shallyingnext
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action fortunately, during the crisis there was no shilly-shallying on the part of the president

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shilly-shallying

2 of 3

adjective

as in shilly-shally

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shilly-shallying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of shilly-shally
1
as in hesitating
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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2
as in delaying
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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Thesaurus Entries Near shilly-shallying

shilly-shally

shilly-shallying

shimmer

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Cite this Entry

“Shilly-shallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallying. Accessed 3 Feb. 2023.

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