dawdle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to waste time; idle; trifle; loiter.
Stop dawdling and help me with these packages!
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to move slowly, languidly, or dilatorily; saunter.
verb (used with object)
verb
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(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
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dawdlessimple
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have dawdledperfect
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has dawdledperfect
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am dawdlingprogressive
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are dawdlingprogressive
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is dawdlingprogressive
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have been dawdlingperfect progressive
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has been dawdlingperfect progressive
Past
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dawdledsimple
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had dawdledperfect
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was dawdlingprogressive
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were dawdlingprogressive
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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
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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Touching Spirit Bear
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Languor Management: Synonyms for "Lazy"
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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.
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
He added that central banks’ reliance on backward-looking economic data meant they were likely “to dawdle, rather than hike.”
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
She has set a six-minute daily time limit as a reminder not to dawdle on Instagram.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 4, 2024
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
Even if the voice over the intercom releases us like nothing happened, is she going to dawdle back over to the whiteboard and continue adding to the topic list?
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
