shilly-shally
1 of 4adverb
shilly-shally
2 of 4adjective
shilly-shally
3 of 4verb
intransitive verb
shilly-shally
4 of 4noun
Did you know?
Shall I? Shall I? When you just don't know what to do, it may feel as if asking that question twice will somehow help you decide. The 17th century saw the use of the phrase "stand shall I, shall I" to describe vacillation or indecision. By that century's end, the phrase had been altered to "shill I, shall I," most likely because people just liked the vowel alteration (that's the same process that gave us dillydally and wishy-washy). Soon after, the adverbial shilly-shally made the jump from slang to literature and writers began applying it as an adjective, a noun, and a verb as well.
Synonyms
Verb
- balance
- dither
- falter
- halt
- hang back
- hesitate
- scruple
- stagger
- teeter
- vacillate
- waver
- wobble
- wabble
Noun
- faltering
- fence-sitting
- hesitance
- hesitancy
- hesitation
- indecision
- irresolution
- pause
- shilly-shallying
- vacillation
- wavering
- wobbling
- wabbling
Word History
Adverb
irregular reduplication of shall I
Adverb
1700, in the meaning defined above
Adjective
1734, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1754, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1755, in the meaning defined above
shilly-shallied
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- hesitated
- faltered
- hung back
- wabbled
- waited
- balanced
- debated
- staggered
- scrupled
- dithered
- vacillated
- wavered
- paused
- halted
- wobbled
- delayed
- backed down
- procrastinated
- teetered
- swayed
- lingered
- chickened (out)
- hemmed
- hawed
- pondered
- dawdled
- pussyfooted
- deliberated
- weighed
- oscillated
- waffled
- considered
- dallied
- hedged
- equivocated
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- plunged (in)
- decided
- dived (in)
- dove (in)
- continued
- advanced
- stirred
- budged
Synonyms & Similar Words
- delayed
- crawled
- lingered
- poked
- dragged
- hung fire
- dillydallied
- fell behind
- lallygagged
- marked time
- dropped behind
- strolled
- lagged
- played
- dragged one's heels
- loitered
- moped
- shuffled
- crept
- dawdled
- lollygagged
- stalled
- took one's time
- diddled
- dragged one's feet
- staggered
- tarried
- dallied
- lounged
- fooled around
- idled
- messed around
- trifled
- sauntered
- monkeyed (around)
- fiddled (around)
- slowed (down or up)
- pottered (around)
- decelerated
- puttered (around)
- loafed
- hanged (around or out)
- procrastinated
- ambled
- temporized
- inched
- eased
- lolled
- plodded
- filibustered
- lumbered
- hung (around or out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hotfooted (it)
- rushed
- hurried
- hastened
- ripped
- run
- sped
- scurried
- flew
- bolted
- raced
- rocketed
- dashed
- zipped
- ran
- whirled
- scooted
- whizzed
- barreled
- scudded
- whisked
- tore
- scrambled
- darted
- speeded
- humped
- barrelled
- hurtled
- coursed
- hustled
- bowled
- sped (up)
- careered
- run
- trotted
- breezed
- stampeded
- speeded (up)
- accelerated
- ran
- galloped
- jogged
- caught up
- sprinted
- quickened
- outpaced
- overtook
- outstripped
- outran
- fast-forwarded