Tarry — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adjective /ˈter-ē/ (verb) /ˈtär-ē/ (adjective) tar·ry

Meaning & Definition of Tarry

Tarry (verb)

  1. to delay or be tardy in acting or doing
  2. to linger in expectation, wait
  3. to abide or stay in or at a place

Tarry (noun)

  1. stay, sojourn

Tarry (adjective)

  1. of, resembling, or covered with tar

Tarry (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a temporary residing as another's guest

    "a fable about the tarry of two Americans in a Scottish village that every century magically comes into existence for a day"

    similar: sojourn, stay, visit
    related: field trip, homestay, sleepover, layover, stop, stopover

Tarry (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to continue to be in a place for a significant amount of time

    "upon seeing the sun beginning to sink in the sky, we realized we had tarried too long on the summit of the mountain"

    similar: abide, dwell, hang around, remain, stay, stick around
    related: await, hang on, hold on, wait, dally, dawdle, linger, loiter, outstay, overstay
    opposite: bail, bail out, bug out, buzz (off), clear off (chiefly British), clear out, cut out, depart, exit, get off, go, go off, leave, move, pack (up or off), peel off, pike (out or off), pull out, push off, push on, quit, shove (off), take off, vamoose, walk out
    near: abscond, book (slang), decamp, escape, evacuate, flee, fly, get out, run away, scat, scram, skip, abandon, desert, forsake, vacate

  2. to move or act slowly

    "the dean tarried in making his decision, still not sure if he should suspend the student or not"

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

  3. to reside as a temporary guest

    "he tarried with us all summer, sleeping on the screened-in porch most nights"

    similar: crash (slang), sojourn, stay, visit
    related: come by, come over, drop by, drop in, run in, step in, stop (by), frequent, hang (around or out), haunt, inhabit, occupy
    near: abide, dwell, live, reside

Tarry (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in pitchy

    similar: pitchy, gelatinous, gooey, ropy, syrupy, viscous, adherent, adhesive, clingy, gluey, glutinous, gummy, sticky, tacky, tenacious, viscid
    opposite: nonadhesive, nonviscous

Related Entry: Tarry (in) (verb)

Tarry (in) is a different word from Tarry. The synonyms below are for tarry (in), not for tarry.

  1. as in stay (at), stop (over)

    similar: camp (out in), sojourn (at), stay (at), stop (over), call (on or upon), drop by, drop in, pop (in), run (in), stop (by or in), infest, invade, overrun, swarm, attend, take in, patronize, affect, frequent, habituate, hang (at), haunt, resort (to), visit
    opposite: avoid, shun, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, shake

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Tarry

The most common words with a similar meaning to Tarry:

Slang: crash
sojourn, stay, visit, abide, dwell, hang around, remain, stick around, crawl, creep, dally, dawdle, delay, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag, mope, poke, shilly-shally, drag one's feet, drop behind, fall behind, hang fire, mark time, take one's time, pitchy, gelatinous, gooey, ropy, syrupy, viscous, adherent, adhesive, clingy, gluey, glutinous

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Tarry

Words with the opposite meaning of Tarry:

bail, bail out, bug out, buzz (off), clear off, clear out, cut out, depart, exit, get off, go, go off, leave, move, pack (up or off), peel off, pike (out or off), pull out, push off, push on, quit, shove (off), take off, vamoose, walk out, barrel, bolt, career, course, dash

Related Words for Tarry

field trip, homestay, sleepover, layover, stop, stopover, await, hang on, hold on, wait, outstay, overstay, 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

Near Antonyms of Tarry

abscond, book, decamp, escape, evacuate, flee, get out, run away, scat, scram, skip, abandon, desert, forsake, vacate, bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede, gallop, jog, sprint, trot, accelerate, quicken, speed (up)

Word Forms of Tarry

Inflections: tarried, tarrying, tarries

Origin & Etymology of Tarry

Middle English tarien

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Tarry

What does "Tarry" mean?

"Tarry" means to delay or be tardy in acting or doing. As an a verb, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to delay or be tardy in acting or doing. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Tarry"?

Other words for "Tarry" include sojourn, stay, visit, abide, dwell, hang around, remain and stick around. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Tarry" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Tarry"?

There are 97 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Tarry". Common alternatives include sojourn, stay, visit, abide, dwell, hang around, remain, stick around, crawl and creep.

What is the opposite of "Tarry"?

Antonyms of "Tarry" include bail, bail out, bug out, buzz (off), clear off, clear out, cut out and depart. Near antonyms include abscond, book, decamp and escape.

How do you use "Tarry" in a sentence?

Examples of "Tarry" in a sentence: "a fable about the tarry of two Americans in a Scottish village that every century magically comes into existence for a day"; "upon seeing the sun beginning to sink in the sky, we realized we had tarried too long on the summit of the mountain"; "the dean tarried in making his decision, still not sure if he should suspend the student or not".

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

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

How do you pronounce "Tarry"?

"Tarry" is pronounced /ˈter-ē/ as a verb and /ˈtär-ē/ as an adjective and divided into syllables as tar·ry.

What is the origin of the word "Tarry"?

"Tarry" comes from Middle English tarien. First known use: 14th century.