Dawdling — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective /ˈdȯ-dᵊl/ daw·dle

Meaning & Definition of Dawdling

Dawdling (verb)

  1. to spend time idly
  2. to move lackadaisically
  3. to spend fruitlessly or lackadaisically

Dawdling (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed

    "the dawdling pace of the movie was really making us restless"

    similar: crawling, creeping, dallying, dilatory, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, lagging, languid, leisurely, poking, poky, slow, sluggish, snail-paced, snaillike, tardy, unhurried
    related: deliberate, measured, inactive, inert, lethargic, loafing, lounging, lingering, loitering, tarrying, ambling, heavy-footed, inching, plodding, shuffling, slow-footed, strolling, decelerating, slowing, filibustering, procrastinating, stalling
    opposite: barreling, bolting, breakneck, breathless, brisk, careering, dizzy, fast, fleet, flying, hasty, hurrying, lightning, meteoric, quick, racing, rapid, rocketing, running, rushing, scooting, scudding, scurrying, snappy, speeding, speedy, swift, warp-speed, whirling, whirlwind, whisking, zipping
    near: expeditious, prompt, ready, accelerated, hastened, quickened, hurried, rushed

Dawdling (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to move or act slowly

    "if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure"

    similar: crawling, creeping, dallying, delaying, diddling, dillydallying, dragging, lagging, lingering, loitering, lollygagging, moping, poking, shilly-shallying, tarrying, dragging one's feet, dropping behind, falling behind, hanging fire, marking time, taking one's time
    related: fiddling (around), fooling around, messing around, monkeying (around), playing, pottering (around), puttering (around), trifling, hanging (around or out), idling, loafing, lolling, lounging, ambling, easing, inching, lumbering, plodding, sauntering, shuffling, staggering, strolling, decelerating, slowing (down or up), filibustering, procrastinating, stalling, temporizing
    opposite: barreling, bolting, careering, coursing, dashing, flying, hastening, hotfooting (it), hurrying, racing, ripping, rocketing, running, rushing, scooting, scudding, scurrying, speeding, tearing, whirling, whisking, whizzing, zipping
    near: bowling, breezing, darting, humping, hurtling, hustling, scrambling, stampeding, galloping, jogging, running, sprinting, trotting, accelerating, quickening, speeding (up), catching up, fast-forwarding, outpacing, outrunning, outstripping, overtaking

  2. to spend time doing nothing

    "accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control"

    similar: bumming, chilling, dallying, dillydallying, droning, footling, goofing (off), hacking (around), hanging about (British), hanging (around or out), idling, kicking around, kicking back, lazing, lazying, loafing, lolling, lounging, vegging out, killing time, twiddling one's thumbs
    related: fiddling (around), fooling, messing, monkeying, mucking, piddling, playing, pottering (around), puttering (around), trifling, dozing, estivating, hibernating, lagging, lingering, loitering, poking, relaxing, resting, tarrying, ambling, moseying, sauntering, strolling, swanning, furloughing, goldbricking, malingering, truanting
    near: drudging, grinding, grubbing, humping, hustling, laboring, moiling, pegging, plodding, plowing, plugging, slaving, sweating, toiling, travailing, working, applying, buckling (down), exerting, putting out

Related Entry: Dawdle (verb)

Dawdle is a different word from Dawdling. The synonyms below are for dawdle, not for dawdling.

  1. to move or act slowly

    "if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure"

    similar: crawl, creep, dally, delay, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag, mope, poke, shilly-shally, tarry, drag one's feet, drop behind, fall behind, hang fire, mark time, take one's time
    related: fiddle (around), fool around, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge, amble, ease, inch, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stagger, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up), filibuster, procrastinate, stall, temporize
    opposite: barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten, hotfoot (it), hurry, race, rip, rocket, run, rush, scoot, scud, scurry, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, whiz, zip
    near: bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede, gallop, jog, run, sprint, trot, accelerate, quicken, speed (up), catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake

  2. to spend time doing nothing

    "accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control"

    similar: bum, chill, dally, dillydally, drone, footle, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), hang about (British), idle, kick around, kick back, laze, lazy, loaf, loll, lounge, veg out, kill time, twiddle one's thumbs
    related: fiddle (around), fool, mess, monkey, muck, piddle, play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, doze, estivate, hibernate, lag, linger, loiter, poke, relax, rest, tarry, amble, mosey, saunter, stroll, swan, furlough, goldbrick, malinger, truant
    near: drudge, grind, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg, plod, plow, plug, slave, sweat, toil, travail, work, apply, buckle (down), exert, put out

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Dawdling

The most common words with a similar meaning to Dawdling:

British: hanging about
crawling, creeping, dallying, dilatory, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, lagging, languid, leisurely, poking, poky, slow, sluggish, snail-paced, snaillike, tardy, unhurried, delaying, diddling, lingering, loitering, lollygagging, moping, shilly-shallying, tarrying, bumming, chilling, droning, footling, goofing (off), hacking (around), hanging (around or out), idling, kicking around, kicking back, lazing, lazying, loafing, lolling

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Dawdling

Words with the opposite meaning of Dawdling:

barreling, bolting, breakneck, breathless, brisk, careering, dizzy, fast, fleet, flying, hasty, hurrying, lightning, meteoric, quick, racing, rapid, rocketing, running, rushing, scooting, scudding, scurrying, snappy, speeding, speedy, swift, warp-speed, whirling, whirlwind

Related Words for Dawdling

deliberate, measured, inactive, inert, lethargic, ambling, heavy-footed, inching, plodding, shuffling, slow-footed, strolling, decelerating, slowing, filibustering, procrastinating, stalling, fiddling (around), fooling around, messing around, monkeying (around), playing, pottering (around), puttering (around), trifling, easing, lumbering, sauntering, staggering, slowing (down or up)

Near Antonyms of Dawdling

expeditious, prompt, ready, accelerated, hastened, quickened, hurried, rushed, bowling, breezing, darting, humping, hurtling, hustling, scrambling, stampeding, galloping, jogging, sprinting, trotting, accelerating, quickening, speeding (up), catching up, fast-forwarding, outpacing, outrunning, outstripping, overtaking, drudging

Word Forms of Dawdling

Inflections: dawdled

Derived words: dawdler (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Dawdling

origin unknown

First known use: circa 1656i

Frequently Asked Questions about Dawdling

What does "Dawdling" mean?

"Dawdling" means to spend time idly. As an a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: to spend time idly. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Dawdling"?

Other words for "Dawdling" include crawling, creeping, dallying, dilatory, dillydallying, dragging, laggard and lagging. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Dawdling" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Dawdling"?

There are 98 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Dawdling". Common alternatives include crawling, creeping, dallying, dilatory, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, lagging, languid and leisurely.

What is the opposite of "Dawdling"?

Antonyms of "Dawdling" include barreling, bolting, breakneck, breathless, brisk, careering, dizzy and fast. Near antonyms include expeditious, prompt, ready and accelerated.

How do you use "Dawdling" in a sentence?

Examples of "Dawdling" in a sentence: "the dawdling pace of the movie was really making us restless"; "if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure"; "accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control".

Is "Dawdling" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Dawdling" can be used as a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Dawdling"?

"Dawdling" is pronounced /ˈdȯ-dᵊl/ and divided into syllables as daw·dle.

What is the origin of the word "Dawdling"?

"Dawdling" comes from origin unknown. First known use: circa 1656i.