verb
dilly dally
DIL-ee DAL-ee
Dilly dally (verb) means to waste time by moving too slowly or by being unable to make up your mind. Example: “Stop dilly dallying and get your coat on.”
verb
1
informal To waste time by moving too slowly or by being unable to make up your mind.
"Stop dilly dallying and get your coat on."
"We dilly dallied over the menu until the kitchen closed."
How to use dilly dally
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo faff about instead of getting on with it.
When to use it
Informal and slightly old-fashioned or playful; common when speaking to children.
Common pairings
stop dilly dallying
dilly dally over a decision
no time to dilly dally
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Stop _____ and get your coat on.
Etymology
A reduplication of dally 'to waste time, linger'.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for dilly dally
See all rhymes for dilly dally →Frequently asked questions
Is it dilly dally, dilly-dally or dillydally?
All three appear in print. British dictionaries usually hyphenate it as dilly-dally; American dictionaries often close it up as dillydally. The open two-word form is common in casual writing.
What is the difference between dilly dally and dawdle?
Dawdle is about being slow — walking, eating or working at a crawl. Dilly dally adds indecision and pointless detours: the dilly dallier is not just slow but keeps stopping, changing their mind and getting distracted.
What is the meaning of dilly dally?
"dilly dally" (verb) means to waste time by moving too slowly or by being unable to make up your mind.
What is another word for dilly dally?
Other words for "dilly dally" include dawdle, dither, loiter, procrastinate, linger.
