dawdle

daw·dle

verb \ˈdȯ-d^əl\

daw·dleddaw·dling\ˈdȯ-dliŋ, -d^əl-iŋ\

Definition of DAWDLE

intransitive verb

1

: to spend time idly

2

: to move lackadaisically

transitive verb

: to spend fruitlessly or lackadaisically <dawdled the day away>

— daw·dler \ˈdȯ-dlər, -d^əl-ər\ noun

Examples of DAWDLE

1. Hurry up! There's no time to dawdle.
2. Come home immediately after school, and don't dawdle.

Origin of DAWDLE

origin unknown

First Known Use: circa 1656

Related to DAWDLE

Synonyms: crawl, creep, dally, delay, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag (also lallygag), mope, poke, shilly-shally, tarry

Antonyms: barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten, hotfoot (it), hurry, race, rip, rocket, run, rush, scoot, scud, scurry, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, whiz (or whizz), zip

Related Words: fiddle (around), fool around, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle; hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge; amble, ease, inch, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stagger, stroll; decelerate, slow (down or up); filibuster, procrastinate, stall, temporize

Near Antonyms: bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede; gallop, jog, run, sprint, trot; accelerate, quicken, speed (up); catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake

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See Synonym Discussion at delay

Rhymes with DAWDLE

caudal, caudle