DAWDLE Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'dawdle' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of dawdle are dally , delay , lag , loiter , and procrastinate . While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time. // loitered at several store windows // children dawdling on their way home from school

Q: Where would 'dally' be a reasonable alternative to 'dawdle'?

The words dally and dawdle can be used in similar contexts, but dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary. // stop dallying and get to work

Q: When might 'delay' be a better fit than 'dawdle'?

The meanings of delay and dawdle largely overlap; however, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure). // we cannot delay any longer

Q: In what contexts can 'lag' take the place of 'dawdle'?

While in some cases nearly identical to dawdle , lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others. // lagging behind in technology

Q: When is 'procrastinate' a more appropriate choice than 'dawdle'?

The synonyms procrastinate and dawdle are sometimes interchangeable, but procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy. // procrastinates about making decisions

dawdle

verb

ˈdȯ-dᵊl

Definition of dawdle

as in to delay

to move or act slowly if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to lazy

to spend time doing nothing accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word dawdle different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of dawdle are dally, delay, lag, loiter, and procrastinate. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time.

loitered at several store windows

children dawdling on their way home from school

Where would dally be a reasonable alternative to dawdle?

The words dally and dawdle can be used in similar contexts, but dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary.

stop dallying and get to work

When might delay be a better fit than dawdle?

The meanings of delay and dawdle largely overlap; however, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure).

we cannot delay any longer

In what contexts can lag take the place of dawdle?

While in some cases nearly identical to dawdle, lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others.

lagging behind in technology

When is procrastinate a more appropriate choice than dawdle?

The synonyms procrastinate and dawdle are sometimes interchangeable, but procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.

procrastinates about making decisions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dawdle Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off. — Thomas Black, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2025 Indeed, Ederson has moments where he can be caught dawdling with the ball, hoping for an opening that doesn’t always arrive. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026 But Koreeda dawdles over all that without ever finding much dramatic nuance, making for a dullish midsection. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026 Patriots owner Robert Kraft didn’t dawdle last winter after the Patriots went 4-13 with Maye as their main QB. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dawdle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdle

Verb

Trump is speaking now to a crowd filling the National Mall after being delayed by inclement weather.

— Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 5 July 2026
Attendees were told to shelter in nearby government buildings, and the celebration was delayed by a few hours before going on as scheduled.

— Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 July 2026

Definition of delay

Verb

At the same time, the sounds of idling diesel work truck engines have replaced that of dozens of fire trucks that had been stationed there for days.

— Jazmin Alvarado, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
The second album this year from metalcore pioneers Converge is named for a mysterious, pulsing, low-frequency ambient drone, likened by those who hear it to a diesel engine, an idling airplane, or a kind of inescapable torture.

— Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 24 June 2026

Definition of idle

Verb

FireSat will help incident commanders get better information more quickly, and, unlike fire-spotting aircraft, the satellites can linger over a fire for days or weeks and aren’t hampered by high winds or smoke.

— Eric Niiler, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
The severe weather threat will linger for parts of the mid-Atlantic on Sunday, stretching from northern Virginia into southern New Jersey, with cities like Richmond, DC, Baltimore and Philly in the threat zone once again.

— Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 July 2026

Definition of linger

Verb

The result is an elegant and very summery look that’s perfect for strolling around town, dining, or traveling in style.

— René Chávez Esparza, Glamour, 3 July 2026
Officials throughout the state have tried to wrestle with the gray area e-bikes occupy — faster than humans strolling on the greenbelt but not quite at the same level as cars and trucks.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 3 July 2026

Definition of stroll

Verb

So, while the Dodgers crawled out of the hole with a season-high 17 hits, the steep cost heightens the pressure on the rest of the rotation the rest of the series.

— Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
The Germans were crawling as far as the street, dashing across the asphalt, then leaping into the second trench.

— Vasily Grossman, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of crawl

Verb

The pigs that would soon enough become lunch lazed in the compost-pile mud in front of a five-star-hotel-worthy view of the Cretan Sea.

— Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2026
The sense of just how much there is to do in this part of the world—the length of the scale between lazing and becoming ultra-active—is palpable.

— Lauren Keith, Robb Report, 30 May 2026

Definition of laze

Verb

But as the days dragged on, headlines about power outages and water shortages took a back seat to a far more gruesome and horrific reality.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Compounding concerns, California officials say the Department of Transportation is dragging its feet.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of drag

Verb

Featuring adjustable spaghetti straps, two handy pockets, and a pretty floral print, this romper makes an easy and comfortable outfit for beach days, running errands, or just lounging at home.

— Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
On July 2, Hudson, 47, shared a photo of herself on Instagram lounging by the pool with her 7-year-old daughter Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa in matching summer outfits during a family vacation in Athens, Greece.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 2 July 2026

Definition of lounge

Cite this Entry

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“Dawdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdle. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of dawdle

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