procrastinate

[proh-kras-tuh-neyt, pruh-]

verb (used without object), pro·cras·ti·nat·ed, pro·cras·ti·nat·ing.

to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.

verb (used with object), pro·cras·ti·nat·ed, pro·cras·ti·nat·ing.

to put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

Origin of procrastinate

1580–90; < Latin prōcrāstinātus (past participle of prōcrāstināre to put off until tomorrow, equivalent to prō- pro-¹ + -crāstināre, derivative of crāstinus of tomorrow; crās tomorrow + -tinus suffix forming adjectives from temporal adverbs); see -ate¹

Related formspro·cras·ti·nat·ing·ly, pro·cras·ti·na·tive·ly, adverbpro·cras·ti·na·tion, nounpro·cras·ti·na·tive, pro·cras·ti·na·to·ry

[proh-kras-tuh-nuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, pruh-] /proʊˈkræs tə nəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, prə-/, adjectivepro·cras·ti·na·tive·ness, nounpro·cras·ti·na·tor, nouno·ver·pro·cras·ti·na·tion, nounun·pro·cras·ti·nat·ed, adjective

Synonyms for procrastinate

2. prolong, postpone.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for procrastinative

Historical Examples of procrastinative

Negative, procrastinative, affirmative, to me it shall be zero.
History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. VI. (of XXI.)
Thomas Carlyle

British Dictionary definitions for procrastinative

procrastinate

verb

(usually intr) to put off or defer (an action) until a later time; delay

Derived Formsprocrastination, nounprocrastinator, noun

Word Origin for procrastinate

C16: from Latin prōcrāstināre to postpone until tomorrow, from pro- 1 + crās tomorrow

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

Word Origin and History for procrastinative

procrastinate

1580s, a back formation from procrastination or else from Latin procrastinatus, past participle of procrastinare "to put off till tomorrow; defer, delay" (see procrastination). Related: Procrastinated; procrastinating. Earlier verb was procrastine (1540s), from French.