dilly dallies
Putters around aimlessly
Dilly dallies means wastes time or dawdles, the third-person singular form of dilly-dally.
Someone who dilly dallies lingers over decisions or delays without purpose: She dilly dallies every morning and misses the bus.
The word suggests harmless but annoying indecision rather than deliberate stalling.
Linger without purpose
- delayEnforced waiting period
- postponeDelay to later time
- stallEnclosed compartment or delay
- tarryDelay one's leaving
linger · loiter · shilly-shally · temporize · defer · drag · hesitate · put off
Hesitate or fluctuate
- vacillateWaver between choices
- hesitatePause in uncertainty
- ditherNervous inability to choose
- equivocateSpeak vaguely to mislead
falter · waffle · hem and haw · oscillate · fluctuate · teeter · irresolute · undecided
Fried batter cake
- trifleInsignificant matter or thing
- piddleDally or urinate
- lollygagIdle aimlessly, delay
- fool aroundAct without purpose
mess around · kill time · waste time · squander · dabble · tinker · fuss · faff
dawdle
Linger without purpose
tarry · linger · loiter · shilly-shally · temporize · defer · drag · hesitate · put off · adjourn
waver
Hesitate or fluctuate
equivocate · falter · waffle · hem and haw · oscillate · fluctuate · teeter · irresolute · undecided · ambivalent
fritter
Fried batter cake
fool around · mess around · kill time · waste time · squander · dabble · tinker · fuss · faff · fiddle
unhurried
Taking one's time
stroll · saunter · mosey · meander · ramble · potter · putter · lounge · laze · loaf
dilly dalliestakes action
Begins doing something
commits · buckles down · gets down to business · decides · focuses
dilly-dally, dilly-dallied, dilly-dallying, dally, dallies, dallied, dallying, dalliance