- present participle of loiter.
loitering
Americannoun
-
the act of lingering aimlessly or as if aimlessly in or about a place.
A cluster of teens gathered in front of the plaza were charged with violating a city bylaw against loitering.
-
the act of moving in a slow, idle manner, with purposeless stops.
His celebration of loitering as the best form of travel will resonate with anyone who has ever dared toss away a tourist map.
-
the act of wasting time or dawdling over work.
As film director Jean Renoir notes, “The foundation of all civilization is loitering” because it gives time for creative thinking.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of loitering
First recorded in 1350–1400; loiter ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses; loiter ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective sense
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.
A Russian deep sea 'research' ship, the Yantar, has been seen loitering close to the points where these cables come ashore.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Low-cost drones and loitering munitions allow smaller units to deliver precision strikes once reserved for advanced militaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026
We just saw crows, loitering on fence posts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
The Defense Department last week paid AeroVironment $186 million for the first procurement in a five-year, $990 million contract for its Switchblade loitering missile systems.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 2, 2026
I patrolled to make sure the work got done and no one was loitering.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
