Trends of
dally

View usage for:

dally

(dæli)

Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense dallies, present participle dallying, past tense, past participle dallied

1. verb

If you dally, you act or move very slowly, wasting time.

[old-fashioned]

The bureaucrats dallied too long. [VERB]

He did not dally over the choice of a partner. [VERB + over]

[Also V + with]

Synonyms: waste time, delay, fool (about or around), linger More Synonyms of dally

2. verb

If someone dallies with you, they have a romantic, but not serious, relationship with you.

[old-fashioned]

In the past he had dallied with lots of attractive women. [VERB + with]

dally in British English

(ˈdælɪ)

verbWord forms: -lies, -lying or -lied (intransitive)

to waste time idly; dawdle

2. (usually foll by with)

to deal frivolously or lightly with; trifle; toy

to dally with someone's affections

Derived forms

dallier (ˈdallier)

noun

Word origin

C14: from Anglo-French dalier to gossip, of uncertain origin

dally in American English

(ˈdæli)

verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈdallied or ˈdallying

to flirt; play at love

to deal lightly or carelessly (with); trifle; toy

to waste time; loiter

SIMILAR WORDS: ˈloiter, ˈtrifle

Derived forms

dallier (ˈdallier) (ˈdæliiər; ˈdælijər)

noun

Word origin

ME dalien < OFr dalier, to converse, trifle

Examples of 'dally' in a sentence
dally

He let her hand dally on his chest, and while it did so he gingerly pulled at the tuck of his towel.I told you then his fate was sealed and not yours to dally with.

(verb) in the sense of waste time

Definition

to waste time or dawdle

He did not dally long over his meal.

Synonyms

waste time

delay

If he delayed any longer, the sun would be up.

fool (about or around)

linger

Customers are welcome to linger over coffee until midnight.

hang about

loiter

unemployed young men loitering at the entrance to the factory.

while away

dawdle

They dawdled arm in arm past the shopfronts.

fritter away

procrastinate

We often procrastinate when faced with something we do not want to do.

tarry

Two old boys tarried on the street corner discussing cattle.

dilly-dally (informal)

drag your feet or heels

Opposites

run

hurry (up)

hasten

step on it (informal)

make haste

push forward or on

phrasal verb

See dally with someone

Additional synonyms

in the sense of dawdle

Definition

to walk slowly or lag behind

They dawdled arm in arm past the shopfronts.

Synonyms

waste time,

potter,

trail,

lag,

idle,

loaf,

hang about,

dally,

loiter,

dilly-dally (informal),

drag your feet or heels

in the sense of delay

Definition

to deliberately take longer than necessary to do something

If he delayed any longer, the sun would be up.

Synonyms

linger,

lag,

loiter,

dawdle,

tarry,

dilly-dally (informal),

drag your feet or heels (informal)

in the sense of dilly-dally

Definition

to dawdle or waste time

Synonyms

delay,

hesitate,

linger,

potter,

hover,

falter,

waver,

fluctuate,

trifle,

dither (British),

dawdle,

dally,

loiter,

vacillate,

procrastinate,

hum and haw,

shillyshally (informal)

Nearby words of
dally

dais
dale
dalliance
dally
dally with someone
dam
damage

单词	dally
释义	Trends of dally View usage for: dally (dæli) Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense dallies, present participle dallying, past tense, past participle dallied 1. verb If you dally, you act or move very slowly, wasting time. [old-fashioned] The bureaucrats dallied too long. [VERB] He did not dally over the choice of a partner. [VERB + over] [Also V + with] Synonyms: waste time, delay, fool (about or around), linger More Synonyms of dally 2. verb If someone dallies with you, they have a romantic, but not serious, relationship with you. [old-fashioned] In the past he had dallied with lots of attractive women. [VERB + with] dally in British English (ˈdælɪ) verbWord forms: -lies, -lying or -lied (intransitive) 1. to waste time idly; dawdle 2. (usually foll by with) to deal frivolously or lightly with; trifle; toy to dally with someone's affections Derived forms dallier (ˈdallier) noun Word origin C14: from Anglo-French dalier to gossip, of uncertain origin dally in American English (ˈdæli) verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈdallied or ˈdallying 1. to flirt; play at love 2. to deal lightly or carelessly (with); trifle; toy 3. to waste time; loiter SIMILAR WORDS: ˈloiter, ˈtrifle Derived forms dallier (ˈdallier) (ˈdæliiər; ˈdælijər) noun Word origin ME dalien < OFr dalier, to converse, trifle Examples of 'dally' in a sentence dally He let her hand dally on his chest, and while it did so he gingerly pulled at the tuck of his towel. Clive Barker EVERVILLE (2001) I told you then his fate was sealed and not yours to dally with. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss THE WOLF AND THE DOVE (2001) (verb) in the sense of waste time Definition to waste time or dawdle He did not dally long over his meal. Synonyms waste time delay If he delayed any longer, the sun would be up. fool (about or around) linger Customers are welcome to linger over coffee until midnight. hang about loiter unemployed young men loitering at the entrance to the factory. while away dawdle They dawdled arm in arm past the shopfronts. fritter away procrastinate We often procrastinate when faced with something we do not want to do. tarry Two old boys tarried on the street corner discussing cattle. dilly-dally (informal) drag your feet or heels Opposites run , hurry (up) , hasten , step on it (informal) , make haste , push forward or on phrasal verb See dally with someone Additional synonyms in the sense of dawdle Definition to walk slowly or lag behind They dawdled arm in arm past the shopfronts. Synonyms waste time, potter, trail, lag, idle, loaf, hang about, dally, loiter, dilly-dally (informal), drag your feet or heels in the sense of delay Definition to deliberately take longer than necessary to do something If he delayed any longer, the sun would be up. Synonyms linger, lag, loiter, dawdle, tarry, dilly-dally (informal), drag your feet or heels (informal) in the sense of dilly-dally Definition to dawdle or waste time Synonyms delay, hesitate, linger, potter, hover, falter, waver, fluctuate, trifle, dither (British), dawdle, dally, loiter, vacillate, procrastinate, hum and haw, shillyshally (informal) Nearby words of dally dais dale dalliance dally dally with someone dam damage Related terms of dally dilly-dally dally with someone Synonyms of 'dally' dally Explore 'dally' in the dictionary
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Trends ofdally

dally

dally in British English

dally in American English

Examples of 'dally' in a sentencedally

phrasal verb

Additional synonyms

Nearby words ofdally

Related terms ofdally

Synonyms of 'dally'

dally

Trends of
dally

Examples of 'dally' in a sentence
dally

Nearby words of
dally

Related terms of
dally