Synonyms

procrastinate

American

[proh-kras-tuh-nayt, pruh-] / proʊˈkræs təˌneɪt, prə- /

verb (used without object)

to defer action; delay.

to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.

verb (used with object)

to put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

Synonyms:

postpone, prolong

procrastinate British

/ prəʊˈkræstɪˌneɪt, prə- /

verb

(usually intr) to put off or defer (an action) until a later time; delay

"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

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Etymology

Origin of procrastinate

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin prōcrāstinātus, past participle of prōcrāstināre “to put off until tomorrow,” from prō- pro- ¹ + -crāstināre, derivative of crāstinus “of tomorrow” (from crās “tomorrow” + -tinus, adjective suffix)

Explanation

Procrastinate means to put off doing something until a future time. When people sit down to write term papers, they can find all kinds of clever ways to procrastinate: reorganizing the paperclips, calling everyone they know, typing "I am bored" fifty times in a row. The verb procrastinate is from Latin prōcrāstināre, from prō- "forward" plus crāstinus "of tomorrow," from crās "tomorrow." Some synonyms are defer, postpone, and delay, though these words often apply to more positive reasons for inaction. The reason for procrastination is often assumed to be laziness, or just that the task or action is unpleasant and difficult to begin.

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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.

See Examples For:

procrastinate procrastinates procrastinated procrastinating

In the Premier League, there can be a tendency to procrastinate, to over-think by dwelling on replays.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

Anxiety paralysis is real, and people who procrastinate often are not lazy, but instead suffer from this all-too-common malady.

From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026

They might procrastinate, struggle to finish projects or seem unable to manage basic tasks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

"We can't wait, we can't procrastinate," he said, adding that Gazans across the territory were living in an "inhumane situation".

From Barron's ● Jan. 15, 2026

She got stuck and began looking for ways to procrastinate.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

I think he procrastinates because he either doesn’t want to run errands for his 93-year-old mother or else he needs to pick up his mail.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 6, 2026

She quickly regrets this, and can’t really handle the scope of the project, so she procrastinates for the entire semester.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 16, 2022

The musical eavesdrops on a choreographer as she procrastinates over a sad task in her garden and warily ponders the glamour and fuss of a lifetime achievement award.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2021

As he put it: “Everybody procrastinates, but not everyone is a procrastinator.”

From Washington Post ● Jul. 9, 2021

When I do, he procrastinates or tells me to ask my grandmother.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

"The police and crime commissioner prevaricated, procrastinated, refused to get rid of Mr Guildford when it was quite clear that that was the only route possible," Silverman said.

From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2026

It’s one thing to study and write about later life; it’s quite another to live it and see things I wish I had done differently or, in particular, hadn’t procrastinated about.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 22, 2025

In 2022, 17 years after the Rolling Stones released their most recent album of original songs, Mick Jagger decided the band had dithered and procrastinated long enough.

From New York Times ● Sep. 14, 2023

He had procrastinated and a film assignment was due.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 24, 2022

Dill sighed, the way he did when he knew he’d procrastinated doing something for as long as he could.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

A new LegalShield study found that 65% of parents with children under 18 had not taken this key step, with 19% stalled because they couldn’t decide whom to name and 18% simply procrastinating.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

But MacRae says procrastinating can, at times, be a good thing - some problems solve themselves, without us rushing to act.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

It’s a dreaded task when I’m already caught up running other errands — or simply procrastinating.

From Salon ● May 30, 2026

“Say you’ve got donations in the back of your car and you keep procrastinating in dropping those off,” said AAA’s Diaz, “get that extra weight out of your vehicle.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026

“Sure thing, Slinkey. I’ll send out three lieutenants this afternoon to get the job done. There’s no sense in procrastinating any longer.”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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