dally
[ dal-ee ]
verb (used without object),dal·lied, dal·ly·ing.
to waste time; loiter; delay.
to act playfully, especially in an amorous or flirtatious way.
to play mockingly; trifle: to dally with danger.
verb (used with object),dal·lied, dal·ly·ing.
to waste (time) (usually followed by away).
Origin of dally
1First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English dalien from Anglo-French dalier “to chat,” of uncertain origin
synonym study For dally
1. See loiter.
Other words for dally
Other words from dally
- dal·li·er, noun
- dal·ly·ing·ly, adverb
- un·dal·ly·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use dally in a sentence
These men are at any rate ‘thorough’; they are not dilettante dalliers between two opinions.
Matthew Arnold | George Saintsbury
British Dictionary definitions for dally
dally
/ (ˈdælɪ) /
verb-lies, -lying or -lied (intr)
to waste time idly; dawdle
(usually foll by with) to deal frivolously or lightly with; trifle; toy: to dally with someone's affections
Origin of dally
1C14: from Anglo-French dalier to gossip, of uncertain origin
Derived forms of dally
- dallier, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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