tarry
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
adjective
verb
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(intr) to delay in coming or going; linger
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(intr) to remain temporarily or briefly
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(intr) to wait or stay
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archaic (tr) to await
noun
Synonym Usage
See wait.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have tarriedperfect
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has tarriedperfect 3rd person singular
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am tarryingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been tarryingperfect progressive
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are tarryingprogressive
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is tarryingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been tarryingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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tarryingparticiple
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tarriessingular 3rd person
Past
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had tarriedperfect
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was tarryingprogressive singular
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tarriedparticiple
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were tarryingprogressive plural
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tarriedsimple
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had been tarryingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tarry1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English taryen “to delay,” tary “a delay”; origin unknown
Origin of tarry2
Explanation
To tarry is to linger and take your time leaving. If you really like going to Sally’s Diner for dessert, you might tarry over coffee and end up leaving after they’ve closed the kitchen. The verb tarry is perfect for describing what happens when those relatives that you see once a year come to your house for lunch and never seem to leave. When people tarry they stick around and take a long time to depart, sometimes lurking or loitering, or sometimes enjoying each other's company. Tarry can also mean to hang around a place without purpose. You might tarry in the park until the day is fading and you have to go home.
Vocabulary lists containing tarry
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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List 1
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To Kill a Mockingbird
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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.
She was replaced in September last year by Jason Tarry, who worked at Tesco for more than 30 years.
From BBC • Jan. 21, 2025
Rayner added she did not go to New York with Tarry but she met up with him there.
From BBC • Sep. 22, 2024
The Sunday Times reported that Rayner had stayed in the flat of Lord Alli with Sam Tarry, who was then Labour MP for Ilford South, last December.
From BBC • Sep. 22, 2024
Rayner insisted she had not broken any rules by not declaring Tarry stayed in the flat.
From BBC • Sep. 22, 2024
Tarry service officially began at eight, but it could begin at any time, whenever the Lord moved one of the saints to enter the church and pray.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
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.
