loiter
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to linger aimlessly or as if aimless in or about a place.
to loiter around the bus terminal.
- Synonyms:
- loaf
-
to move in a slow, idle manner, making purposeless stops in the course of a trip, journey, errand, etc..
to loiter on the way to work.
-
to waste time or dawdle over work.
He loiters over his homework until one in the morning.
verb (used with object)
verb
Synonym Usage
Loiter, dally, dawdle, idle imply moving or acting slowly, stopping for unimportant reasons, and in general wasting time. To loiter is to linger aimlessly: to loiter outside a building. To dally is to loiter indecisively or to delay as if free from care or responsibility: to dally on the way home. To dawdle is to saunter, stopping often, and taking a great deal of time, or to fritter away time working in a halfhearted way: to dawdle over a task. To idle is to move slowly and aimlessly, or to spend a great deal of time doing nothing: to idle away the hours.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has loiteredperfect 3rd person singular
-
have loiteredperfect
-
are loiteringprogressive
-
loiterssingular 3rd person
-
have been loiteringperfect progressive
-
is loiteringprogressive 3rd person singular
-
loiteringparticiple
-
has been loiteringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
am loiteringprogressive 1st person singular
Past
-
had loiteredperfect
-
was loiteringprogressive singular
-
had been loiteringperfect progressive
-
were loiteringprogressive plural
-
loiteredparticiple
-
loiteredsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of loiter
First recorded before 1300–50; Middle English loteren, loytren, perhaps from Middle Dutch loteren “to stagger, totter”; compare Dutch leuteren “to dawdle”
Explanation
To loiter is to hang around a place with no real purpose, usually somewhere where you are not welcome — like under the “No Loitering” sign at a convenience store. If you’re a dawdler, or a loafer, then you are probably inclined to loiter from time to time. The verb loiter is similar to “hang out,” but it has a more negative connotation and is sometimes associated with acting illegally. You might hang out at your friend’s house watching movies, but you would loiter by the vending machine at school when you are supposed be in class.
Vocabulary lists containing loiter
Fever 1793
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Ghost
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 19–24
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Many of these issues were highlighted in the 2011 book Why Loiter?
From The Guardian • Dec. 12, 2016
And as she thought of ways to bring about lasting change, she stumbled upon a book called Why Loiter, which argues that women's access to public spaces in India is "at best, conditional".
From BBC • Dec. 4, 2016
The book argued that women should have equal access to public spaces, and inspired Neha to start her group, also called Why Loiter.
From BBC • Dec. 4, 2016
Activists are also pushing back with popular campaigns like Why Loiter, which urges women to wander without any apparent purpose and reclaim public spaces that are mostly inhabited by men.
From Washington Post • Oct. 21, 2015
Loiter as he will, each moment brings him nearer to that abode where once he thought himself master; but to his astonishment he now finds himself an outcast and a reproach.
From Punchinello, Volume 2, No. 38, December 17, 1870. by Various
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.
