dally en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English dalien, from Anglo-Norman delaier. Doublet of delay.
Meanings
-
To waste time in trivial activities, or in idleness; to trifle.
I wish, grave governor, 'twere in my power / To favour you; but 'tis my father's cause, / Wherein I may not, nay, I dare not dally.
c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, (please specify the page):[…] we have trifled too long already about a matter of such infinite moment, it is perfect Madness to dally any longer. […]
a. 1726, Benjamin Calamy, “A Sermon Preach'd on Ash-Wednesday”, in J. Calamy, editor, Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions:[…] after we by our presumptuous delays have put off God, and dallied with his grace; […]
a. 1692, Isaac Barrow, The Danger and Mischief of Delaying Repentance:
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(ambitransitive) To caress, especially of a sexual nature; to fondle or pet
Not dallying with a Brace of Curtizans, / But meditating with two deepe Diuines:
c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv], page 191, column 2:Mr Dombey in the meantime stood bolt upright in the carriage like a highly respectable ghost, looking on too; while Cleopatra and the Major dallied as two ancient doves might do.
1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC:2024, The November Nethack Tournament achievements Dally with a foocubus
So, at the sound of that stirring call to battle, George jumped away from the gentle arms in which he had been dallying; not without a feeling of shame (although his wife's hold on him had been but feeble), that he should have been detained there so long.
1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:
- To delay unnecessarily; to while away.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| dallied | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| dallied | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| dallies | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| dallying | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Deriveds
undallying · dallier · dilly-dally · dallyingly
Synonyms
kill time · faddle · smuggle · faff · loaf · fart around · lallygag · lamp · lollygag · grope · mess around · clown around · drumble · dretch · feel up · while · hang around · dick about · lollop · touch up · dilly-dally · pettle · dawdle · jerk off · grope · dally · hang about · arse about · dick around · cosset · diddle · fanny around · nantle · faff around · footle · forslow · fart about · laze about · laze around · feel up · fool around · dally · linger · dandle · piddle · coax · grabble · arse around · pingle · tool around · loiter · loaf about · pet · horse around · fanny about · fond · dilly-dally · mill about · stand by · worship · hang out · goof off · mill around · goof around · fool about · bludge · fondle · canoodle · idle · fiddle about · dawt · dawdle · touch up · fiddle around · chuckle · cabbage · shift · waste time · tiddle · laze · tarry · bum around · muck around · loaf around · muck about · faff about · caress
Translations (36)
ru коке́тничать (to interchange caresses) · tr oyalanmak (to waste time) · bg флиртувам (to interchange caresses) · tr boşa vakit harcamak (to waste time) · ru прохлажда́ться (to waste time) · ru безде́льничать (to waste time) · tr `primarily to delay unnecessarily`) (to waste time) · pl zbałamucić (to waste time) · ru откла́дывать (to delay unnecessarily) · fr lanterner (to waste time) · ru zadérživatʹ (to delay unnecessarily) · fr lambiner (to waste time) · fr traîner (to waste time) · fr procrastiner (to waste time) · cs lelkovat (to waste time) · tr oyalanmak (to delay unnecessarily) · ru игра́ться (to waste time) · de tändeln (to waste time) · bg играя си (to waste time) · pl bałamucić (to waste time) · de trödeln (to waste time) · ru флиртова́ть (to interchange caresses) · cs váhat (to delay unnecessarily) · ru развлека́ться (to waste time) · bg отлагам (to delay unnecessarily) · mi whakarunaruna (to waste time) · fr flirter (to interchange caresses) · ru тра́тить вре́мя впусту́ю (to waste time) · cs protahovat (to delay unnecessarily) · fr lambiner (to delay unnecessarily) · ar تضييع الوقت (to waste time) · bg губя си времето (to waste time) · ru игра́ть (to waste time) · cs loudat se (to delay unnecessarily) · it trastullarsi (to waste time) · fr lanterner (to delay unnecessarily)