tarry
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
adjective
verb
-
(intr) to delay in coming or going; linger
-
(intr) to remain temporarily or briefly
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(intr) to wait or stay
-
archaic (tr) to await
noun
Synonym Usage
See wait.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tarry1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English taryen “to delay,” tary “a delay”; origin unknown
Origin of tarry2
Explanation
To tarry is to linger and take your time leaving. If you really like going to Sally’s Diner for dessert, you might tarry over coffee and end up leaving after they’ve closed the kitchen. The verb tarry is perfect for describing what happens when those relatives that you see once a year come to your house for lunch and never seem to leave. When people tarry they stick around and take a long time to depart, sometimes lurking or loitering, or sometimes enjoying each other's company. Tarry can also mean to hang around a place without purpose. You might tarry in the park until the day is fading and you have to go home.
Vocabulary lists containing tarry
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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List 1
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To Kill a Mockingbird
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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.
Waitrose sales rose by 6% to £4.1bn, and Mr Tarry said he expected customers would want to treat themselves over the festive period.
From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025
"We have made good progress with much more still to do," Mr Tarry said.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2025
Rayner added she did not go to New York with Tarry but she met up with him there.
From BBC • Sep. 22, 2024
"The partnership and its brands stand for trust, value, quality and service and it's a great privilege to be succeeding Sharon as the seventh chairman," Mr Tarry said.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2024
Tarry service officially began at eight, but it could begin at any time, whenever the Lord moved one of the saints to enter the church and pray.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
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.
