dilly-dally en · VERB
Pronunciation
Etymology
Reduplication of dally.
Meanings
-
(intransitive) To dawdle; to waste time; to procrastinate.
“I wouldn't dilly-dally long if I were you,” said Harkless, and his advice seemed good to the shell-men.
1899, Booth Tarkington, The Gentleman from Indiana, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday & McClure Co., published 1900, →OCLC:It likewise manifests the frankness of men who do not dilly-dally with terms, but who say what they mean, and who mean to settle down to a long, hard fight.
1905 April, Jack London, “(please specify the page)”, in War of the Classes, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:No one can accuse the filmmakers of dillydallying; no sooner have the opening credits ended than we’re watching, via a mirrored ceiling, a couple writhing naked in coital ecstasy.
2022 March 20, Jason Bailey, “‘Basic Instinct’ at 30: A Time Capsule That Can Still Offend”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:It is something to have been an old soldier, but more still to have been a doctor. There is no time to dilly-dally in our work.
1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| dilly-dallying | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| dilly-dallies | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| dillydally | alternative | lexicographic | |
| dilly-dallied | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| dilly-dallied | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| dilly dally | alternative | lexicographic |
Synonyms
goof around · stay · laze around · pingle · extend · loaf · adjourn · arse around · laze about · laze · forestay · hang about · mess around · faff · goof off · draw out · postpone · dretch · forestall · avert · cabbage · defer · hang around · drumble · lamp · while · fool around · fanny about · loaf about · lallygag · faff about · hang out · put on hold · kick into the long grass · footle · roll back · tool around · dilly-dally · dilly-dally · diddle · faff around · fart around · clown around · mill around · fanny around · bum around · dally · bludge · prorogue · prorogate · piddle · put off · lollop · stand by · prolong · dick about · protract · lollygag · put on ice · linger · fiddle about · forslow · tarry · arse about · jerk off · loiter · tarry · horse around · loaf around · muck about · fart about · delay · idle · fiddle around · fool about · retard · procrastinate · dick around · suspend · muck around · dawdle · mill about · kick the can down the road · waste time · forslow
Translations (24)
es procrastinar (to waste time) · ru прохлажда́ться (to waste time) · it procrastinare (to waste time) · fi puuhastella (to waste time) · ru безде́льничать (to waste time) · es pelotearse (to waste time) · it gingillarsi (to waste time) · fr procrastiner (to waste time) · sv prokrastinera (to waste time) · fi luumuilla (to waste time) · mi hāmure (to waste time) · de trödeln (to waste time) · pl ociągać się (to waste time) · el χασομερώ (to waste time) · mk се колеба (to waste time) · mi tonanawe (to waste time) · fi hengailla (to waste time) · ru тра́тить вре́мя впусту́ю (to waste time) · la mūgīnor (to waste time) · cmn 磨蹭 (to waste time) · de Zeit vertrödeln (to waste time) · pt enrolar (to waste time) · pl guzdrać się (to waste time) · fi velttoilla (to waste time)