Synonyms

dawdle

American

[dawd-l] / ˈdɔd l /

verb (used without object)

dawdled, dawdling

to waste time; idle; trifle; loiter.

Stop dawdling and help me with these packages!
to move slowly, languidly, or dilatorily; saunter.

verb (used with object)

dawdled, dawdling

to waste (time) by or as if by trifling (usually followed byaway ).

He dawdled away the whole morning.

Synonyms:

trifle, idle, putter, fritter

dawdle British

/ ˈdɔːdəl /

verb

(intr) to be slow or lag behind
to waste (time); trifle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See loiter.

Other Word Forms

dawdler noun
dawdlingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of dawdle

First recorded in 1650–60; variant of daddle “to toddle”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While these cities dawdle, the region’s residents suffer the effects of the housing shortage: high rents, overcrowding, eviction and homelessness.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2024

If a few passengers dawdle while stowing their bag and finding their seat, it can make the difference between a flight being on time or late in the government’s official statistics.

From Washington Times • Oct. 19, 2023

Allison said it’s important for investigators not to dawdle.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 25, 2023

A bouncy strut, a dart-and-weave, a dawdle with a dog.

From New York Times • Sep. 24, 2023

“Get a move on, please! Well never get round today if you dawdle like this!”

From "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023