dilly-dally
verb [I] /ˈdɪl.iˌdæl.i/ old-fashioned informalDefinition
› to waste time, especially by being slow, or by not being able to make a decision: Don't dilly-dally - just get your things and let's go!HesitatingUncertaintyDelaying and wasting time
(Definition of dilly-dally verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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- Abstaining and refraining
- Acting and acts
- Avoiding action
- Becoming better
- Cancelling and interrupting
- Competing and contending (non-sporting)
- Coping and not coping
- Describing the leading position
- Efficient and effective
- Expressions telling people to hurry up
- Failing and doing badly
- Failures
- Getting involved for one's own benefit or against others' will
- Hesitating
- Higher and lower points of achievement
- Hurrying and doing things quickly
- Making progress and advancing
- Making things better
- Performing a function
- Potential
- Reacting and responding
- Repeating an action
- Succeeding, achieving and fulfilling
- Success and achievements
- Successful (things or people)
- Surpassing in quality or number
- Taking part and getting involved
- Trying and making an effort
- Unsuccessful (people and things)
- Waiting
- Ways of achieving things
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Synonyms and related words:
- ado noun
- be on ice idiom
- buy time idiom
- carry sth over phrasal verb
- dally verb
- get behind phrasal verb
- hang/hold fire idiom
- hold off phrasal verb (RAIN/STORM)
- hold on phrasal verb (WAIT)
- hold sb/sth back phrasal verb (STOP DEVELOPMENT)
- hold sb/sth up phrasal verb (DELAY)
- mothball verb
- pigeonhole verb
- put sth back phrasal verb (DELAY)
- put sth off phrasal verb
- retard verb
- retardation noun
- set sth/sb back phrasal verb
- stall verb (DELAY)
- wait verb
Topic:
Delaying and wasting time
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