Dawdle

Pronunciation: /ˈdɔːdəl/

Definitions of dawdle

verb to waste time or move slowly

Example Sentences

A1 She always dawdles on her way home from school.

A2 Don't dawdle, we need to catch the bus.

B1 The tourists dawdled through the market, taking in all the sights and sounds.

B2 I tend to dawdle when I'm not in a hurry, just enjoying the moment.

C1 The CEO doesn't like it when employees dawdle during meetings.

C2 Despite the urgency of the situation, he continued to dawdle and waste time.

Examples of dawdle in a Sentence

formal Please do not dawdle on your way to the meeting, we need to start promptly.

informal Stop dawdling and hurry up, we're going to be late!

slang Quit dawdling around and get your act together.

figurative Time waits for no one, so don't dawdle in making important decisions.

Grammatical Forms of dawdle

• past tense: dawdled
• plural: dawdles
• comparative: more dawdling
• superlative: most dawdling
• present tense: dawdle
• future tense: will dawdle
• perfect tense: have dawdled
• continuous tense: is dawdling
• singular: dawdler
• positive degree: dawdle
• infinitive: to dawdle
• gerund: dawdling
• participle: dawdled

Origin and Evolution of dawdle

First Known Use: 1565 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'dawdle' originated from the Middle English word 'dawdel(en)', which meant to waste time or be idle.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'dawdle' has come to mean to move slowly or linger aimlessly, reflecting a sense of procrastination or reluctance to hurry.