dawdle

American  

[dawd-l] / ˈdɔd l /

verb (used without object)

• dawdles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dawdled,
  past participle,  past
• dawdling
  present participle

1. 

   to waste time; idle; trifle; loiter.

   Stop dawdling and help me with these packages!

2. to move slowly, languidly, or dilatorily; saunter.

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verb (used with object)

• dawdles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dawdled,
  past participle,  past
• dawdling
  present participle

1. to waste (time) by or as if by trifling (usually followed byaway ).

   He dawdled away the whole morning.

   Synonyms:

   trifle, idle, putter, fritter

dawdle British  

/ ˈdɔːdəl /

verb

1. (intr) to be slow or lag behind

2. to waste (time); trifle

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Synonym Usage

See loiter.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dawdler
  noun
• dawdlingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• dawdling
  present
• dawdled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dawdle
  simple
• dawdles
  simple
• have dawdled
  perfect
• has dawdled
  perfect
• am dawdling
  progressive
• are dawdling
  progressive
• is dawdling
  progressive
• have been dawdling
  perfect progressive
• has been dawdling
  perfect progressive

Past

• dawdled
  simple
• had dawdled
  perfect
• was dawdling
  progressive
• were dawdling
  progressive
• had been dawdling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dawdle
  simple
• will have dawdled
  perfect
• will be dawdling
  progressive
• will have been dawdling
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of dawdle

First recorded in 1650–60; variant of daddle “to toddle”

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Explanation

There are lots of words that mean to move slowly. The point of dawdle is that one is moving too slowly, is falling behind, or is not properly focused on making progress. One way to remember the meaning of dawdle is that it rhymes with "waddle," as in, "a duck waddles." Imagine what would happen if you waddled instead of walked. It would take a lot more time, and your companion might say, "Don't dawdle!" Dawdle implies not only taking extra time but actually wasting it. A leisurely walk in the woods is one thing, but if you have to get to the theater on time, don't dawdle along the way: you'll miss the curtain!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dawdle dawdles dawdled dawdling

While these cities dawdle, the region’s residents suffer the effects of the housing shortage: high rents, overcrowding, eviction and homelessness.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2024

If a few passengers dawdle while stowing their bag and finding their seat, it can make the difference between a flight being on time or late in the government’s official statistics.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 19, 2023

Allison said it’s important for investigators not to dawdle.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 25, 2023

And while there's still a need for a similarly big player to volumize Kernza sales, smaller companies can keep farmers growing the crop while consumer packaged goods companies dawdle on the sidelines.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2023

Others dawdle, the ones with a kitchen full of kids and help that has gone home.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

If Minnesota dawdles, it “will rack up $1 billion of deferred payments this year,” the CMS head said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026

It is the role of prosecutors to vindicate that interest by initiating judicial action when a defendant dawdles.

From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2024

And yet, he almost takes pride in his ability to put things off, saying he dawdles on an “Olympic level.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2023

Many of Dellario’s gently impressionistic pictures depict Rock Creek as it dawdles through and around large, glistening rocks.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 26, 2022

Inherits a comfortable property, goes to an expensive college, dawdles through Europe, and then comes home to play carpet knight and read poetry to girls.

From The Henchman by Mark Lee Luther

While Kelly dawdled for the decisive goal, Bain made a superb save late on to deny Manchester United's Amad Diallo.

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026

Later, at Brasserie de Monaco, the principality’s craft beer brewery, I dawdled over a pint of Blonde de Monaco and fell into conversation with Nils, a Danish skipper.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026

Students dawdled in their first period classes with cameras off, waiting for teachers who had not been able to log in.

From New York Times ● Feb. 13, 2024

When the horses eventually broke from the gate, Zenyatta, as usual, dawdled.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2023

Ash dawdled behind, stroking the horse’s nose, hoping her stepmother would forget about her.

From "Ash" by Malinda Lo

Cut a dawdling fight scene here and an interminable escape scene there, and the film would make a delightful in-universe companion to precede next summer’s “Superman” sequel, “Man of Tomorrow.”

From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026

Like, just in case someone’s dawdling, or being careless about where they’re dumping snow.

From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2026

Then again, all the bickering, dawdling, and reliably self-preserving ignorance toward the catastrophe nipping at their heels is the point.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2024

After Black Rod — Sarah Clarke — raps three times on the door with her staff, lawmakers make their way to the House of Lords, deliberately dawdling and chatting as they go.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 6, 2023

As we came off, you were moving at the dawdling speed of a small child.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

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Related Words

• laze
• loiter
• mosey
• procrastinate
• saunter

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