dawdle
verb (used without object)
to waste time; idle; trifle; loiter.
had been dawdling
-
past perfect progressiveof dawdle.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
We had miles of snowy trails to ski and I had been dawdling too long over my gear.
From New York Times ● Mar. 2, 2023
Meanwhile, the impact of Douglas MacArthur had already made firm some decisions which had been tentative, made emphatic some intentions which had been halfhearted, made urgent some programs which had been dawdling.
From Time Magazine Archive
George, as usual, discovered that he had been dawdling in the portals of his desires, when the doors came to with a bang.
From The White Peacock by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)
As he came out of the gate Tom Hayhurst, who had been dawdling about for him for the past half-hour, stepped quickly forward; then seeing who was with him stopped abruptly, and drew back.
From Grit Lawless by Young, F.E. Mills
"What is the price of that book?" at length asked a man who had been dawdling for an hour in the front store of Benjamin Franklin's newspaper establishment.
From Pushing to the Front by Marden, Orison Swett
