procrastinate

Definition of procrastinatenext

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of procrastinate are dally, dawdle, delay, lag, and loiter. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.

procrastinates about making decisions

When could dally be used to replace procrastinate?

While the synonyms dally and procrastinate are close in meaning, 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 procrastinate?

In some situations, the words delay and procrastinate are roughly equivalent. However, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure).

we cannot delay any longer

When can lag be used instead of procrastinate?

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

lagging behind in technology

How are the words loiter and dawdle related as synonyms of procrastinate?

Both 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

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 procrastinate Now stop procrastinating and go shovel that walkway. Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 23 Feb. 2026 Tax season is here, but data show 29% of Americans will procrastinate filing their taxes this year. Janay Reece, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026 Basically, the company procrastinates, to the temporary benefit of the speed-obsessives among us. Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 10 Jan. 2026 The crunch could be especially impactful for gift buyers who procrastinate, leaving them more likely to depend on rapid-delivery flights, Dale Rogers, a professor of supply chain management at Arizona State University, told ABC News. Max Zahn, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for procrastinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for procrastinate
Verb
  • The contest was delayed for about 10 minutes in the fourth after plate umpire Ron Kulpa exited due to taking a foul ball off his mask.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Along with Buttó, right-hander Hayden Birdsong underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery, while right-handers Joel Peguero (Grade 2 hamstring strain) and left-hander Reiver Sanmartin (right hip flexor) sustained injuries that delayed the starts to their seasons.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • None of the streetlights were working, and the driverless cars were stalled everywhere.
    Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
  • The average retail price to fill up hasn't been this high since August 2022 when Republicans were relentless in their focus on gas prices and successfully took back Congress, stalling the rest of former President Joe Biden's agenda.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Until Isaacman’s program makeover, Artemis III was crawling toward a moon landing no sooner than 2029.
    Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Woods’ car then rolled onto its driver’s side and he was forced to crawl out the window.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Continue reading … EMERGENCY EASE — Trump administration steps in with rare tax relief for DHS workers as shutdown drags on.
    , FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Several parents who spoke to The Baltimore Sun, under the condition of anonymity because of fears that the institution would retaliate against their sons, questioned why the school continues to drag its feet about bringing back Moran.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Procrastinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/procrastinate. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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