Meaning & use
lollygagging
Last updated
“lollygagging” is a form of “lollygag”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitiveinformal
Wasting time by moving or acting slowly and without purpose when something needs to be done; the -ing form of lollygag.
Grammar: No object; often followed by around or about: stop lollygagging around.
Patterns
- lollygag around
- lollygag about
- lollygag over something
Stop lollygagging and get your shoes on, or we will miss the bus.
The boys were lollygagging by the lake instead of mowing the lawn.
I caught him lollygagging in the hallway when he should have been in class.
verbintransitiveold-fashionedhumorous
Spending time in a lazy, affectionate way, especially kissing or cuddling in public; now a rare and old-fashioned use.
Grammar: No object, and usually comic or teasing.
Patterns
- lollygag in public
Grandma complained that the couple on the bench were lollygagging all afternoon.
In the old film, the teenagers were scolded for lollygagging after the dance.
The principal said there would be no lollygagging in the corridors.
Word forms
| base form | lollygag |
|---|---|
| third person singular | lollygags |
| past tense | lollygagged |
| past participle | lollygagged |
| -ing form | lollygagging |
Common combinations
- stop lollygagging
- Stop lollygagging and help me carry these boxes.
- lollygagging around
- They spent the whole morning lollygagging around the kitchen.
- no lollygagging
- The coach said there would be no lollygagging during practice.
- keep lollygagging
- If you keep lollygagging, we will be late again.
- caught lollygagging
- The manager caught two workers lollygagging near the loading dock.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dawdling
- Dawdling focuses on moving slowly and taking too long, and it is milder and more widely used than lollygagging.
- loafing
- Loafing means being lazy and doing nothing useful, often for a long period, so it sounds more critical.
- dillydallying
- Dillydallying is almost the same informal word but stresses hesitating over a decision as well as wasting time.
- idling
- Idling is neutral and can describe a machine or a person doing nothing, with no scolding tone.
Opposites
Word family
- lollygag verb
- the base form, meaning to waste time aimlessly
- lollygagger noun
- a person who wastes time or moves too slowly
- lollygagged verb
- the past tense and participle of lollygag
Commonly confused: lollygagging or lollipop? lollygagging or dillydallying?
lollygagging vs lollipop
A lollipop is a candy on a stick, and despite the similar start it has no link to wasting time.
lollygagging vs dillydallying
Both words are informal, but dillydallying often means hesitating, while lollygagging is mainly about idle slowness.
Practice
The teacher told the class, 'Quit ______ and start your assignments, because the bell rings in ten minutes.'
Choose one answer.
Quit lollygagging means stop wasting time. The other options describe actions that the teacher would encourage, so there would be no reason to tell students to quit them.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lollygagging”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.