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What is another word for dawdling?

Need synonyms for dawdling? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

Contexts ▼

Moving at a notably slow speed

Hesitant or uncertain in nature or approach

Lack of decision or purpose

An instance of wasting of time in idleness or trifles

The act of retarding or delaying

Habitual indisposition to action or motion

Present participle for to move or act at a slow speed

Present participle for to move or walk lackadaisically or aimlessly

Present participle for to waste or spend time idly and unfruitfully

Present participle for to pause in indecision before doing something

… more ▼

Adjective

Moving at a notably slow speed

procrastinating

slow and steady

on hands and knees

slow as molasses

behind schedule

procrastinative

disorganized^US

asleep at the wheel

asleep on the job

disorganised^UK

more ❯

“The dawdling tortoise finally reached the finish line.”

Adjective

Hesitant or uncertain in nature or approach

lacking confidence

shilly-shallying

on the horns of a dilemma

humming and hawing

having misgivings

blowing hot and cold

not in favour of

not in the mood

diffident about

more ❯

Noun

Lack of decision or purpose

shilly-shallying

dragging your feet

procrastination

hemming and hawing

humming and hawing

second thoughts

blowing hot and cold

inconclusiveness

lack of enthusiasm

shillyshallying

lack of resolution

half-heartedness

sitting on the fence

more ❯

“Dawdling in the board meeting led to a lack of progress and a missed opportunity for the company.”

Noun

An instance of wasting of time in idleness or trifles

Noun

The act of retarding or delaying

discontinuation

procrastination

holding pattern

cooling-off period

period of waiting

breathing space

suspended animation

breathing spell

intervening period

intervening time

pause in the action

break in your journey

delaying tactics

kicking the can down the road

Mexican standoff

communication breakdown

more ❯

Noun

Habitual indisposition to action or motion

Verb

Present participle for to move or act at a slow speed

procrastinating

shilly-shallying

dragging your feet

taking your time

pottering about

pottering around

pottering round

diddle-daddling

frittering time away

frittering away

scrounging around

shlepping along

warming a chair

getting no place fast

sitting on one's butt

taking one's time

whiling away time

taking too long

dropping behind

humming and hawing

playing a waiting game

trailing behind

playing for time

using delaying tactics

dragging your heels

putting off doing something

hemming and hawing

pussyfooting around

blowing hot and cold

advancing slowly

taking one's own sweet time

appearing to pass slowly

going on and on

going on too long

becoming tedious

taking a raincheck

deferring action

letting something slide

suspending action

postponing action

kicking the can down the road

dragging behind

bringing up the rear

beating about the bush

avoiding making a decision

using Fabian tactics

stalling for time

avoiding committing oneself

mooching around

beating around the bush

avoiding the issue

more ❯

“Don't dawdle, as questions must reach us by next Wednesday.”

Verb

Present participle for to move or walk lackadaisically or aimlessly

loitering along

moving at a snail's pace

circumambulating

following one's nose

mooching around

knocking around

going walkabout

walking the tracks

going for a walk

getting some air

getting some exercise

stretching your legs

going aimlessly

moving aimlessly

going off at a tangent

getting sidetracked

wandering aimlessly

getting off the point

taking a stroll

strolling along

making your way

dragging oneself

making one's way

going for a constitutional

getting no place fast

dragging your feet

trailing behind

dropping behind

walking casually

bringing up the rear

hitting the road

travelling around

traveling around

hitting the trail

travelling about

going hither and thither

wending your way

wandering about

walking up and down

marching up and down

walking back and forth

walking to and fro

jaunting around

flitting around

reconnoitring^UK

reconnoitering^US

spreading through

going for a stroll

trekking through

struggling along

more ❯

“The trick was to arrive early and dawdle casually past the security guards.”

Verb

Present participle for to waste or spend time idly and unfruitfully

puddling around

lounging around

twiddling thumbs

frittering away

frittering away time

whiling away the time

amusing oneself

fiddling around

idling away time

filling in time

passing the time

idling away the hours

sitting on one's hands

pottering around

puttering around

mooching around

procrastinating

whiling away time

kicking your heels

doing nothing in particular

standing around

knocking around

monkeying around

whiling away hours

not lifting a finger

moseying around

frittering time away

whiling away the hours

piddling around

taking a breather

putting your feet up

doing nothing much

diddling around

resting on your oars

sitting back and do nothing

slouching about

slouching around

shilly-shallying

burning daylight

taking things easy

more ❯

“While the other students sewed in class, Flannery appeared to dawdle, doing nothing.”

Verb

Present participle for to pause in indecision before doing something

shilly-shallying

humming and hawing

hemming and hawing

sitting on fence

hesitating over

blowing hot and cold

pussyfooting around

sitting on the fence

procrastinating

getting cold feet

running hot and cold

keeping changing your mind

fence-straddling

chopping and changing

umming and ahing

staying in the background

dragging your feet

dragging your heels

whiffling waffling

more ❯

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