Dillydally

B2 16+

Pronunciation: /ˈdɪliˌdæli/

Definitions of dillydally

noun a waste of time by loitering or delaying

Example Sentences

A1 I don't like dillydallying when I have work to do.

A2 She always dillydallies in the morning and ends up being late for school.

B1 His dillydallying caused us to miss the bus.

B2 The manager warned the employees about dillydallying during work hours.

C1 Her constant dillydallying is affecting the productivity of the team.

C2 The CEO does not tolerate any dillydallying when it comes to decision-making.

verb to waste time by loitering or delaying

Example Sentences

A1 I dillydallied on my way to school and ended up being late.

A2 Don't dillydally when making a decision, just choose one and go for it.

B1 She always dillydallies when it comes to getting ready in the morning.

B2 The team cannot afford to dillydally any longer, we need to make a decision now.

C1 His tendency to dillydally has caused delays in the project timeline.

C2 As a manager, I cannot tolerate employees who dillydally instead of completing their tasks efficiently.

Examples of dillydally in a Sentence

formal Please refrain from dillydallying and focus on completing the task at hand.

informal Stop dillydallying and get moving!

slang Quit dillydallying and just do it already!

figurative Don't dillydally when it comes to pursuing your dreams.

Grammatical Forms of dillydally

past tense

dillydallied

plural

dillydallies

comparative

more dillydally

superlative

most dillydally

present tense

dillydallies

future tense

will dillydally

perfect tense

have dillydallied

continuous tense

is dillydallying

singular

dillydally

positive degree

dillydally

infinitive

to dillydally

gerund

dillydallying

participle

dillydallying

Origin and Evolution of dillydally

First Known Use: 1730 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The word 'dillydally' is believed to have originated as a reduplication of the word 'dally', which means to waste time or be indecisive.
Evolution of the word: Over time, 'dillydally' has come to be used to describe someone who is wasting time or delaying action in a playful or nonchalant manner.