procrastinate
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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overprocrastinationnoun
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procrastinatornoun
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unprocrastinatedadjective
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procrastinatoryadjective
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procrastinativelyadverb
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procrastinativeadjective
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procrastinativenessnoun
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procrastinationnoun
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procrastinatinglyadverb
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has procrastinatedperfect 3rd person singular
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have procrastinatedperfect
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is procrastinatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been procrastinatingperfect progressive
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are procrastinatingprogressive
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procrastinatingparticiple
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procrastinatessingular 3rd person
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has been procrastinatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am procrastinatingprogressive 1st person singular
Past
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had procrastinatedperfect
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was procrastinatingprogressive singular
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had been procrastinatingperfect progressive
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were procrastinatingprogressive plural
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procrastinatedparticiple
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procrastinatedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of procrastinate
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin prōcrāstinātus, past participle of prōcrāstināre “to put off until tomorrow,” from prō- pro- 1 + -crāstināre, derivative of crāstinus “of tomorrow” (from crās “tomorrow” + -tinus, adjective suffix)
Explanation
Procrastinate means to put off doing something until a future time. When people sit down to write term papers, they can find all kinds of clever ways to procrastinate: reorganizing the paperclips, calling everyone they know, typing "I am bored" fifty times in a row. The verb procrastinate is from Latin prōcrāstināre, from prō- "forward" plus crāstinus "of tomorrow," from crās "tomorrow." Some synonyms are defer, postpone, and delay, though these words often apply to more positive reasons for inaction. The reason for procrastination is often assumed to be laziness, or just that the task or action is unpleasant and difficult to begin.
Vocabulary lists containing procrastinate
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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.
Procrastinate until she becomes desperate enough to say she won’t mind if I make a mess of it.
From The Guardian • May 17, 2020
The album, released by the band on its own label, Procrastinate!
From New York Times • Aug. 28, 2017
For starters, revision only seems like a modest goal if you ignore how rare it is in student writing, where the typical pattern is: Procrastinate, panic, write all night, turn it in, and forget it.
From Slate • Jan. 20, 2016
Management: Procrastinate Like a Boss John F. Demartini says the business leaders who are best at maintaining balance in a company “will be the most loved, loving and sustainable.”
From New York Times • May 13, 2013
Procrastinate, prō-kras′ti-nāt, v.t. to put off till some future time: to postpone.—v.i. to delay.—n.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various
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.
