shilly-shally

[ shil-ee-shal-ee ]

/ ˈʃɪl iˌʃæl i /

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See synonyms for shilly-shally on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), shil·ly-shal·lied, shil·ly-shal·ly·ing.

to show indecision or hesitation; be irresolute; vacillate.

to waste time; dawdle.

noun, plural shil·ly-shal·lies.

irresolution; indecision; vacillation: It was sheer shilly-shally on his part.

adjective

irresolute; undecided; vacillating.

adverb

irresolutely.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of shilly-shally

First recorded in 1690–1700; originally repeated question, shall I? shall I?; later altered on the model of its synonym dilly-dally

OTHER WORDS FROM shilly-shally

shil·ly-shal·li·er, noun

Words nearby shilly-shally

shillelagh, shilling, shilling mark, Shillong, Shilluk, shilly-shally, Shiloh, shilpit, shily, shim, Shimazaki

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use shilly-shally in a sentence

Strange that people will have so much faith in shilly-shally!
Charles Sumner; his complete works, volume 7 (of 20)|Charles Sumner
"I have little experience of shilly-shally methods," replied his visitor.
The Open Question|Elizabeth Robins
I hear the shilly-shally policy of the English Government bitterly condemned.
Cities of the Dawn|J. Ewing Ritchie
I had rather be sent home to fight manfully, or to make peace politically, than to be in this miserable shilly-shally way here.
The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. IX|Various

What keeps the simple man dallying shilly-shally at the fence, as if he actually wanted them to take him?
Horse-Shoe Robinson|John Pendleton Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for shilly-shally

shillyshally

/ (ˈʃɪlɪˌʃælɪ) informal /

verb -lies, -lying or -lied

(intr) to be indecisive, esp over unimportant matters; hesitate

adverb

in an indecisive manner

adjective

indecisive or hesitant

noun plural -lies

indecision or hesitation; vacillation

Derived forms of shillyshally

shillyshallier, noun

Word Origin for shillyshally

C18: from shill I shall I, by reduplication of shall I

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