dawdle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
dawdles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dawdled,
past participle, past
-
dawdling
present participle
-
to waste time; idle; trifle; loiter.
Stop dawdling and help me with these packages!
-
to move slowly, languidly, or dilatorily; saunter.
verb (used with object)
-
dawdles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dawdled,
past participle, past
-
dawdling
present participle
verb
-
(intr) to be slow or lag behind
-
to waste (time); trifle
Synonym Usage
See loiter.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dawdlesimple
-
dawdlessimple
-
have dawdledperfect
-
has dawdledperfect
-
am dawdlingprogressive
-
are dawdlingprogressive
-
is dawdlingprogressive
-
have been dawdlingperfect progressive
-
has been dawdlingperfect progressive
Past
-
dawdledsimple
-
had dawdledperfect
-
was dawdlingprogressive
-
were dawdlingprogressive
-
had been dawdlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dawdle
First recorded in 1650–60; variant of daddle “to toddle”
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!
Vocabulary lists containing dawdle
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Touching Spirit Bear
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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.
See Examples For:
But old rival Messi is on 931 goals, the second highest scorer ever, so Ronaldo cannot afford to dawdle too much...
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
As Californians dawdle about casting ballots before Tuesday’s primary, the leading candidates hoping to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom crisscrossed the state making their closing arguments to voters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
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
Don’t dawdle: White’s got the second album, “Entering Heaven Alive,” set for release on July 22.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 4, 2022
“I hope I shall have done something to be proud of by that time, but I’m such a lazy dog, I’m afraid I shall dawdle, Jo.”
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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
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
Still, even when he dawdles, he keeps you hooked with his filmmaking and his characters.
From New York Times ● May 12, 2016
The master awakes about 3 P.M. and smokes, visits, plays with his children, and dawdles away his time till the cool sunset, when a second edition of the first meal is served up.
From Two Trips to Gorilla Land and the Cataracts of the Congo Volume 2 by Sir Richard Francis Burton
In the 71st minute, off quick ball, with excellent field position and Murley lurking wide, Seb Atkinson similarly dawdled too long and had his kick blocked.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 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
Doon dawdled over his breakfast of carrot sticks and mashed turnips, waiting for his father to go.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
"The film has a few scattered giggles, but it's dawdling and cumbersome, and far less 'relevant' than it thinks," read a review from the Hollywood trade publication Variety.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
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
Havertz initially looked well offside until a glance revealed the dawdling veteran playing him on, leaving Trossard the grateful beneficiary.
From BBC ● May 12, 2024
The goat’s dawdling was stretching Anya’s time in the woods, and she really wanted to get out fast.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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