dawdle
verb
daw·dle ˈdȯ-dᵊl 
dawdled; dawdling ˈdȯ-dliŋ
-dᵊl-iŋ
intransitive verb
1
: to spend time idly
… dawdled about in the vestibule …
Jane Austen
Jane Austen2
: to move lackadaisically
"I don't want you dawdling while you making deliveries for Mrs. Ford." Connie Porter
Connie Portertransitive verb
: to spend fruitlessly or lackadaisically
dawdled the day away
dawdler
ˈdȯ-dlər
noun -dᵊl-ər
Synonyms
- crawl
- creep
- dally
- delay
- diddle
- dillydally
- drag
- lag
- linger
- loiter
- lollygag
- lallygag
- mope
- poke
- shilly-shally
- tarry
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Hurry up! There's no time to dawdle. Come home immediately after school, and don't dawdle.
Recent Examples on the Web Many shoppers get free parking with a validation from certain stores and restaurants at the Grove, Americana and Palisades Village, but those who dawdle too long or don’t spend at least $250 could pay as much as $30 at the Grove. Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2022 Clearly, this isn’t the time to dawdle or slack off. Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 25 May 2022 Don’t dawdle, though, because places are expected to book up fast. Susan Dunne, courant.com, 28 Mar. 2022 The team couldn’t dawdle because the dolphins might not stay long. Jill Langlois, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Mar. 2022 We are rushed through the establishment of this world, only to dawdle as time goes by. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 23 Dec. 2021 Building for the future was too precious to dawdle. Evan Grant, Dallas News, 9 Aug. 2021 Pick a base and branch out or mix and match, but don’t dawdle. David Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2021 Pick a base and branch out or mix and match, but don’t dawdle. David Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2021 See More
Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2022 Clearly, this isn’t the time to dawdle or slack off. Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 25 May 2022 Don’t dawdle, though, because places are expected to book up fast. Susan Dunne, courant.com, 28 Mar. 2022 The team couldn’t dawdle because the dolphins might not stay long. Jill Langlois, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Mar. 2022 We are rushed through the establishment of this world, only to dawdle as time goes by. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 23 Dec. 2021 Building for the future was too precious to dawdle. Evan Grant, Dallas News, 9 Aug. 2021 Pick a base and branch out or mix and match, but don’t dawdle. David Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2021 Pick a base and branch out or mix and match, but don’t dawdle. David Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
origin unknown
First Known Use
circa 1656, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Kids Definition
dawdle
verb
daw·dle ˈdȯ-dᵊl
dawdled; dawdling
1
: to spend time wastefully : dally
He couldn't afford to dawdle. He was way behind the others … Louis Sachar, Holes
Louis Sachar, Holes2
: to move slowly and without purpose
Don't dawdle in the hall.
dawdles
verb
1
as in delays
to move or act slowly if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- delays
- drags
- lingers
- crawls
- pokes
- loiters
- strolls
- lags
- shuffles
- mopes
- diddles
- tarries
- dallies
- plays
- creeps
- staggers
- marks time
- ambles
- stalls
- saunters
- lollygags
- falls behind
- idles
- lallygags
- drops behind
- hangs fire
- lounges
- drags one's heels
- plods
- dillydallies
- takes one's time
- decelerates
- drags one's feet
- procrastinates
- lolls
- lumbers
- shilly-shallies
- fools around
- trifles
- eases
- loafs
- inches
- messes around
- temporizes
- putters (around)
- fiddles (around)
- potters (around)
- monkeys (around)
- filibusters
- hangs (around or out)
- slows (down or up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hurries
- scurries
- rushes
- hastens
- runs
- scoots
- whirls
- tears
- speeds
- flies
- races
- whizzes
- rips
- whisks
- courses
- dashes
- barrels
- zips
- hurtles
- careers
- scrambles
- hustles
- scuds
- rockets
- trots
- runs
- gallops
- hotfoots (it)
- jogs
- darts
- bolts
- breezes
- accelerates
- humps
- bowls
- stampedes
- sprints
- quickens
- overtakes
- speeds (up)
- outruns
- outstrips
- outpaces
- catches up
- fast-forwards
2
as in lazes
to spend time doing nothing accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control Synonyms & Similar Words
- lazes
- idles
- strolls
- relaxes
- rests
- dallies
- lazies
- plays
- lolls
- lounges
- bums
- chills
- pokes
- lingers
- mucks
- loafs
- kills time
- messes
- drones
- kicks back
- ambles
- footles
- hangs about
- loiters
- saunters
- twiddles one's thumbs
- moseys
- lags
- goofs (off)
- veges out
- dozes
- dillydallies
- piddles
- vegges out
- monkeys
- hibernates
- kicks around
- fools
- hacks (around)
- tarries
- hangs (around or out)
- trifles
- estivates
- malingers
- truants
- aestivates
- swans
- goldbricks
- putters (around)
- fiddles (around)
- potters (around)
- furloughs
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- plods
- hustles
- toils
- works
- slaves
- grinds
- labors
- plows
- sweats
- pegs
- humps
- plugs
- applies
- grubs
- drudges
- buckles (down)
- travails
- exerts
- moils
- puts out