Synonyms

dawdle

American

[dawd-l] / ˈdɔd l /

verb (used without object)

dawdled, dawdling

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)

dawdled, dawdling

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

(intr) to be slow or lag behind
to waste (time); trifle

"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

Related Words

See loiter.

Other Word Forms

dawdler noun
dawdlingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of dawdle

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

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.

“I don’t have some fancy pyramid. But if you want to see the greatest Wonder of this world or any other, well, just follow me. Don’t dawdle, now!”

From Literature

“Don’t dawdle. We don’t want to miss any announcements.”

From Literature

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

It also raised further questions as to why England dawdled on his selection for so long.

From BBC

“I wish you wouldn’t dawdle so, Margaret! I have been standing here for the better part of a minute. Now draw me a bath, please, and lay out a fresh gown.”

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023