Meaning & use

dally

verb·Advanced

To waste time, or to act or move slowly instead of doing something promptly.

See it in a sentence

We can't dally any longer; the train leaves in ten minutes.

He dallied over his coffee, reluctant to start the difficult conversation.

A note on using this word

To 'dally with' someone can also mean to flirt or have a brief, casual romantic relationship without serious intent.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

hurryrush

Make it your own

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