as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
fortunately, during the crisis there was no shilly-shallying on the part of the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hesitating
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ambivalent
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shallying
Noun
-
And if a player is Premier League-proven, there is also less hesitation to pay big sums of money to other domestic clubs.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025 -
Now ready for pre-sale, the Sync Oven and Sync Air Fryer exemplify an idea beyond a kitchen tool, one that replaces hesitation with clarity and guesswork with certainty.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Even all-world corner Pat Surtain II didn’t have his best day, with Colts quarterback Daniel Jones not hesitating to go after him on routes over the middle.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
15 Sep. 2025
-
As adults, this pattern can look like hesitating to ask for help, avoiding vulnerability or keeping emotional struggles private, even from those closest to you.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Most employees would fear losing their chance to be reimbursed, even at the expense of delaying activities linked to their primary job.—
Rohan Joshi,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Pediatrician medical groups argue delaying this birth dose until one month of life would leave the opportunity for babies to be missed if they are born to a mother infected with the virus or from a close contact soon after birth.—
Sony Salzman,
ABC News,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Thanks to climate change, Cosmism’s ambivalent and generally hostile attitude towards the natural world should also sound familiar.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Reactions to Breinberg’s victory were respectful and occasionally ambivalent.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Still, there was a lingering hesitancy that often got in his way.—
Stephen Galloway,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
-
These patient and clinician concerns about AI’s role in healthcare point to a broad hesitancy to leverage the technology across the industry.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
China's housing downturn has stretched into a fourth year, with prices, sales, investment and construction activity faltering across the board.—
Anniek Bao,Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
25 Aug. 2025
-
Investors’ long-running enthusiasm for artificial intelligence showed signs of faltering late Tuesday and early Wednesday morning as tech stocks tumbled.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Still, there was a lingering hesitancy that often got in his way.—
Stephen Galloway,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The performance was impacted by the lingering effects of operational challenges, delivery delays and store closures initiated last year.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The pause will last three years and could save restaurants $850 in fees annually while potentially boosting their sales.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
15 Sep. 2025
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People hear your tone, your pauses, your personality.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallying. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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