shilly-shallying 1 of 3

noun

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shilly-shallying

2 of 3

adjective

as in ambivalent

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Dissimilar Words

shilly-shallying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of shilly-shally
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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shallying
  1. hesitation
  2. ambivalent
  3. hesitating
  4. delaying
  5. hesitancy
  6. random
  7. faltering
  8. lingering
Noun
  • Some rabbinic readings attribute Lot’s hesitation to leave Sodom to his immoral greed and inordinate wealth.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
  • Her hesitation isn’t about her affection for Tewkesbury but out of fear of losing her identity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of hesitation
Adjective
  • The time may have passed for the Kremlin to consider the White House ambivalent as to the fate of Europe.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • After all, the feature debut of Swiss director and writer Jan-Eric Mack features an ambivalent main character, namely a single mother who doesn’t fit neatly into categories of black or white and good or evil.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
Definition of ambivalent
Verb
  • The book does often feel like a recording of a mental jam session, but there is also a sense of being guided by a kind of hesitating yet urgent voice that needs to get things figured out.
    — Craig Morgan Teicher, Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
  • While their rivals started spending significant sums of money as soon as the 2024-25 season finished, Spurs wasted a couple of weeks hesitating about the long-term future of then head coach Ange Postecoglou before replacing him with Thomas Frank.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Definition of hesitating
Verb
  • While delaying benefits is typically optimal, a hypothetical 22% cut by 2033 significantly shifts optimal claiming ages for many single individuals, potentially encouraging earlier filing, but often not for married couples.
    — Steve Vernon, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Some workers were granted exemptions, and a handful of departments were delaying implementation of the governor’s mandate.
    — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of delaying
Noun
  • Sidewalk safety, a tale of two cities There is no such hesitancy with cities collecting roadway data.
    — Wes Marshall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
  • The Iranian regime’s apparent hesitancy to resume in-person talks is a significant step back from the high-level talks that took place in Switzerland earlier this month following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the countries.
    — Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 30 June 2026
Definition of hesitancy
Adjective
  • Luka Dončić got traded at midnight on a random Saturday in February.
    — David Aldridge, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Pinned to their random assortment of hats were scrawled, handmade signs proclaiming liberty or death.
    — Sarah M.S. Pearsall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of random
Verb
  • Chris Jung | Nurphoto | Getty Images Shares of Nvidia have been faltering recently — and Kalshi traders predict that what the company can charge for chips is also declining.
    — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 22 June 2026
  • After faltering in last year’s Div.
    — Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
Definition of faltering
Verb
  • This season, our editors are savoring the activities that take us back to some of our favorite childhood days—jumping off docks, sliding down twisty pool slides, and lingering outside long into the evening.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
  • Any strange or lingering foot symptoms, though, could be a sign of a bigger health condition.
    — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 3 July 2026
Definition of lingering
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.

Browse Nearby Words

shilly-shally
shilly-shallying
shimmer
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Cite this Entry

“Shilly-shallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallying. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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