Meaning & use

loiter

verb·Everyday

To stand or wait around in a public place without an obvious purpose.

See it in a sentence

The security guard asked the teenagers not to loiter outside the store entrance.

He loitered near the bus stop, unsure whether to wait or walk home.

A note on using this word

Loiter often carries a slightly suspicious or unwelcome connotation, especially in signs like 'no loitering.'

Words with a similar meaning

lingerhang around

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

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