dally

American  

[dal-ee] / ˈdæl i /

verb (used without object)

dallied, dallying

1. to waste time; loiter; delay.

2. to act playfully, especially in an amorous or flirtatious way.

   Synonyms:

   trifle, tease, flirt

3. to play mockingly; trifle.

   to dally with danger.

   Synonyms:

   toy

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verb (used with object)

dallied, dallying

1. to waste (time) (usually followed byaway ).

dally British  

/ ˈdælɪ /

verb

1. to waste time idly; dawdle

2. (usually foll by with) to deal frivolously or lightly with; trifle; toy

   to dally with someone's affections

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Related Words

See loiter.

Other Word Forms

• dallier noun
• dallyingly adverb
• undallying adjective

Etymology

Origin of dally

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English dalien from Anglo-French dalier “to chat,” of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

He did not dally, perhaps mindful of what had happened the night before.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

If you dally as the clock approaches 2 p.m. on Sunday, you will see that Jerson Osorio’s team can unbuild a city as fast as they can build one.

From Slate • Dec. 22, 2024

Don’t dally until it becomes an established problem to deal with.

From Seattle Times • May 17, 2023

The staging doesn’t dally but there’s enough stillness to allow emotion to drop like a stone into a pond.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2019

I dally in the palace garden to gather a few more things.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black