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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ambivalent
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shallying
Noun
-
Neighbors expressed hesitation about the plans, citing the noise helicopters would cause, WPBF News 25 and WPTV reported.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025 -
Villa had known Elliott was available in the months before, yet the price caused hesitation.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For now, Ian’s hesitating to tell Mike.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Because life—even for us jaded adults—should be for the seizing, not for hesitating in the face of fear.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Weddings are expensive, after all, and delaying the big honeymoon trip can help ease the blow by spreading out the cost.—
Jim Augerinos,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Oct. 2025
-
For many, that means skipping checkups, delaying prescriptions, or deciding which bill not to pay.—
Linda Goler Blount,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The family—an ambivalent institution bar none—shapes us, and yet our individuality resists that shaping.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Pillsbury was similarly ambivalent about the label.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Her hesitancy alone is treated as a question in need of an answer rather than a valid response to an increasingly complex choice.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Jennifer Lawrence opened up about her hesitancy about speaking to the press during an interview with The New Yorker published Monday.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That reinforced the idea that inflation concerns should take a backseat to worries about faltering job growth.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
-
After faltering in the semifinals of the 2024 WNBA playoffs, Wilson and the Aces capped off a dominant postseason run Friday by sweeping the Phoenix Mercury with a 97-86 win.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Place pheromone traps around your closet to capture any lingering moths.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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The moon is glimmering, the veil between worlds is thin and there’s an air of mischief lingering in the shadows.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If the pause continues, Forgotten Harvest will extensively fundraise.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Congress signed into law a divest-or-ban order during the Biden administration, but Trump—whose Justice Department must enforce a ban—issued, then repeatedly extended, an enforcement pause in the interest of coming to terms about divestiture.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallying. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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