dilly-dallies
Putters around aimlessly
Dilly-dallies is the third-person singular form of dilly-dally, meaning to waste time through indecision or aimless activity.
Someone who dilly-dallies dawdles when they should be acting: She dilly-dallies over every menu while the rest of us wait.
The word suggests mild exasperation at unnecessary delay.
Moves unnecessarily slowly
- delaysPauses before proceeding
- postponesReschedules for later
- puts offDelays doing something
- stallsDelays or compartments
hesitates · lingers · loiters · tarries · lags · wastes time · kills time · idles
Fails to decide
- hesitatesShows momentary indecision
- wafflesBatter cooked in grid
- faltersLoses steadiness or confidence
- vacillatesFluctuates between positions
shilly-shallies · flip-flops · equivocates · dithers · hem and haw · second-guesses · wobbles · teeters
dawdles
Moves unnecessarily slowly
stalls · hesitates · lingers · loiters · tarries · lags · wastes time · kills time · idles · dithers
wavers
Fails to decide
- hesitatesShows momentary indecision
- wafflesBatter cooked in grid
- faltersLoses steadiness or confidence
vacillates · shilly-shallies · flip-flops · equivocates · dithers · hem and haw · second-guesses · wobbles · teeters · deliberates
potters
Clay vessel craftspeople
- piddlesIdles aimlessly, ineffectively
- tinkersMeddles amateurishly with mechanisms
- dabblesEngages superficially
fusses · fiddles · putters · messes about · trifles · ambles · saunters · moseys · lounges · lollygags
dilly-dalliesdecides
Reaches a conclusion
takes action · hurries · rushes · hustles · commits
dilly-dalliesfocuses
Concentrates attention on
concentrates · buckles down · gets down to business · knuckles down · applies oneself
dilly-dally, dilly-dallied, dilly-dallying, dally, dallies, dallied, dallying, dalliance, dalliances