procrastinate

American  

[proh-kras-tuh-neyt, pruh-] / proʊˈkræs təˌneɪt, prə- /

verb (used without object)

procrastinated, procrastinating

1. to defer action; delay.

   to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.

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verb (used with object)

procrastinated, procrastinating

1. to put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

   Synonyms:

   postpone, prolong

procrastinate British  

/ prə-, prəʊˈkræstɪˌneɪt /

verb

1. (usually intr) to put off or defer (an action) until a later time; delay

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Other Word Forms

• overprocrastination noun
• procrastinatingly adverb
• procrastination noun
• procrastinative adjective
• procrastinatively adverb
• procrastinativeness noun
• procrastinator noun
• procrastinatory adjective
• unprocrastinated adjective

Etymology

Origin of procrastinate

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin prōcrāstinātus, past participle of prōcrāstināre “to put off until tomorrow,” from prō- pro- ¹ + -crāstināre, derivative of crāstinus “of tomorrow” (from crās “tomorrow” + -tinus, adjective suffix)

Explanation

Procrastinate means to put off doing something until a future time. When people sit down to write term papers, they can find all kinds of clever ways to procrastinate: reorganizing the paperclips, calling everyone they know, typing "I am bored" fifty times in a row. The verb procrastinate is from Latin prōcrāstināre, from prō- "forward" plus crāstinus "of tomorrow," from crās "tomorrow." Some synonyms are defer, postpone, and delay, though these words often apply to more positive reasons for inaction. The reason for procrastination is often assumed to be laziness, or just that the task or action is unpleasant and difficult to begin.

Example Sentences

“What we find is that people did not mean to be on the sidelines. They procrastinate, or didn’t realize.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026

And one of the big success stories for defaults is the automatic enrolment in pension schemes, because many of us procrastinate saving for retirement.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

They might procrastinate, struggle to finish projects or seem unable to manage basic tasks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

"We can't wait, we can't procrastinate," he said, adding that Gazans across the territory were living in an "inhumane situation".

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

She got stuck and began looking for ways to procrastinate.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

Related Words

• dawdle
• hesitate