shilly-shally

[shil-ee-shal-ee]

SEE MORE 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.

Origin of shilly-shally

1690–1700; orig. repeated question, shall I? shall I? later altered on the model of its synonym dilly-dally

Related formsshil·ly-shal·li·er, noun

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

Related Words for shilly-shally

dally, dawdle, dodge, fluctuate, halt, hesitate, stall, trifle, vacillate, waver

Examples from the Web for shilly-shally

Historical Examples of shilly-shally

There is no use in this shilly-shally way of yours, St. Clare!
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Shilly-shally, to trifle or fritter away time; to be irresolute.
The Slang Dictionary
John Camden Hotten
Drapery it was, and quickly; for Mrs. Munsey was not wont to shilly-shally.
Tales of Mean Streets
Arthur Morrison
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

Word Origin and History for shilly-shally

"to vacillate," 1782, from adverbial expression to stand shilly-shally (1703), earlier shill I, shall I (1700), a fanciful reduplication of shall I? (cf. wishy-washy, dilly-dally, etc.). From 1734 as an adjective, by 1755 as a noun. Related: Shilly-shallying (1816).