dilly dallying
Frittering time away
Dilly-dallying is wasting time through indecision or aimless activity when you should be getting on with something.
The word suggests dawdling, puttering, or taking forever to make up your mind: Stop dilly-dallying and get in the car.
Often used as a mild scold for slowness or distraction.
- hesitatePause in uncertainty
- lingerStay beyond necessity
- loiterRemain idly in place
- twiddling thumbsGesture of impatient boredom
- vacillationInability to choose
taking forever · tarrying · pause · wander · foot-dragging · running out the clock · delay · procrastination · dragging feet · dawdling · faffing · stalling · frittering · lollygagging · shilly-shallying · hemming and hawing · beating around the bush · trifling
dilly dallyingtaking action
Initiating purposeful effort
committing · deciding · resolving · taking the plunge · biting the bullet
dilly dallyingbuckling down
Applying oneself with determination
knuckling down · focusing · concentrating · applying oneself · nose to the grindstone