Shilly-shally — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb adjective verb noun /ˈshi-lē-ˌsha-lē/

Meaning & Definition of Shilly-shally

Shilly-shally (adverb)

  1. in an irresolute, undecided, or hesitating manner

Shilly-shally (adjective)

  1. irresolute, vacillating

Shilly-shally (verb)

  1. to show hesitation or lack of decisiveness or resolution
  2. dawdle

Shilly-shally (noun)

  1. indecision, irresolution

Shilly-shally (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to show uncertainty about the right course of action

    "I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news"

    similar: balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble
    related: haw, hem, dally, dawdle, delay, linger, pause, procrastinate, wait, back down, chicken (out), consider, debate, deliberate, ponder, weigh, oscillate, sway, equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, waffle
    opposite: dive (in), plunge (in)
    near: decide, budge, stir, advance, continue

  2. to move or act slowly

    "with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set"

    similar: crawl, creep, dally, dawdle, delay, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag, mope, poke, 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

Shilly-shally (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action

    "the construction project was once again delayed by the bureaucratic shilly-shally of regulatory agencies"

    similar: faltering, fence-sitting, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitation, indecision, irresolution, pause, shilly-shallying, vacillation, wavering, wobbling
    related: delay, hawing, procrastination, waiting, arrière-pensée, misgiving, second thought, consideration, debate, deliberation, doubt, incertitude, indecisiveness, indetermination, uncertainness, uncertainty, avoidance, equivocation, aversion, disinclination, indisposition, reluctance, unwillingness, faintheartedness, shyness, timidity, timidness
    near: certainty, certitude, confidence, decisiveness, determination, firmness, resoluteness, resolution, sureness, alacrity, eagerness, readiness

Shilly-shally (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in shilly-shallying, wavering

    similar: ambivalent, hesitating, shaky, shilly-shallying, vacillating, wavering, aimless, arbitrary, desultory, erratic, haphazard, hit-or-miss, irregular, random, scattered, slapdash, stray, dicey, undependable, unreliable, untrustworthy, capricious, changeable, changeful, fickle, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile, adaptable, mobile, protean, versatile
    opposite: certain, changeless, constant, immutable, invariable, predictable, settled, stable, stationary, steady, unchangeable, unchanging, unvarying, equable, even, uniform, abiding, durable, lasting, permanent, persistent, dependable, reliable, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Shilly-shally

The most common words with a similar meaning to Shilly-shally:

balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble, crawl, creep, dally, dawdle, delay, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag, mope, poke, tarry, drag one's feet, drop behind, fall behind, hang fire, mark time, take one's time, faltering, fence-sitting, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitation, indecision, irresolution

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Shilly-shally

Words with the opposite meaning of Shilly-shally:

dive (in), plunge (in), barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten, hotfoot (it), hurry, race, rip, rocket, run, rush, scoot, scud, scurry, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, whiz, zip, certain, changeless, constant, immutable, invariable

Related Words for Shilly-shally

haw, hem, procrastinate, wait, back down, chicken (out), consider, debate, deliberate, ponder, weigh, oscillate, sway, equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, waffle, fiddle (around), fool around, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge

Near Antonyms of Shilly-shally

decide, budge, stir, advance, continue, bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede, gallop, jog, sprint, trot, accelerate, quicken, speed (up), catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, certainty, certitude, confidence, decisiveness

Word Forms of Shilly-shally

Inflections: shilly-shallied, shilly-shallying

Origin & Etymology of Shilly-shally

irregular reduplication of shall I

First known use: 1700

Frequently Asked Questions about Shilly-shally

What does "Shilly-shally" mean?

"Shilly-shally" means in an irresolute, undecided, or hesitating manner. As an an adverb, an adjective, a verb and a noun, it is defined as: in an irresolute, undecided, or hesitating manner. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Shilly-shally"?

Other words for "Shilly-shally" include balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple and stagger. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Shilly-shally" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Shilly-shally"?

There are 156 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Shilly-shally". Common alternatives include balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple, stagger, teeter and vacillate.

What is the opposite of "Shilly-shally"?

Antonyms of "Shilly-shally" include dive (in), plunge (in), barrel, bolt, career, course, dash and fly. Near antonyms include decide, budge, stir and advance.

How do you use "Shilly-shally" in a sentence?

Examples of "Shilly-shally" in a sentence: "I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news"; "with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set"; "the construction project was once again delayed by the bureaucratic shilly-shally of regulatory agencies".

Is "Shilly-shally" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Shilly-shally" can be used as an adverb, an adjective, a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Shilly-shally"?

"Shilly-shally" is pronounced /ˈshi-lē-ˌsha-lē/.

What is the origin of the word "Shilly-shally"?

"Shilly-shally" comes from irregular reduplication of shall I. First known use: 1700.