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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

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

How to use shilly-shally in a sentence

You've got to shillyshally, and then you've got to go it blind.
April Hopes|William Dean Howells
Then a lot of shillyshally usually followed, Tom for and Dick and Harry against.
Ulysses|James Joyce

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