dilly-dally
Britishverb
Etymology
Origin of dilly-dally
C17: by reduplication from dally
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.
On weekends, I tend not to dilly-dally in the kitchen.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2025
There’s only one way to do it: Penalize players strokes when they dilly-dally and give rules officials the authority to say, “You’re too slow, add one to your score.”
From Golf Digest • Feb. 19, 2018
“We will not dilly-dally waiting for you to return, nor will we waste time trying to open the doors using our unlock equipment,” police said.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 31, 2017
But they appear to be in dilly-dally mode.
From Washington Times • May 29, 2017
“Musn’t dilly-dally, miss. Remember, ‘A trip worth taking is a trip worth beginning,’” which made Penelope startle again, for she was quite certain that Agatha Swanburne had once said the very same thing.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
