noun
B1
Intermediate
procrastination
pruh-kras-tuh-NAY-shun
Procrastination (noun) means putting off something that needs doing, usually in favour of something easier or more pleasant, despite knowing the delay will cost you. Example: “His procrastination turned a two-hour job into a week of dread.”
noun
1
Putting off something that needs doing, usually in favour of something easier or more pleasant, despite knowing the delay will cost you.
"His procrastination turned a two-hour job into a week of dread."
"Procrastination is less about laziness than about avoiding an unpleasant feeling."
How to use procrastination
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishPutting off something you know you should be doing.
Memory tip
Latin "cras" = tomorrow. Procrastination is "tomorrow-ing" a job.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
chronic procrastination
procrastination is
overcome procrastination
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His _____ turned a two-hour job into a week of dread.
Etymology
From Latin "procrastinare," to put off until tomorrow, from "pro-" (forward) plus "cras" (tomorrow).
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for procrastination
region
cation
ablation
allusion
emulsion
ideation
novation
diffusion
elocution
extension
oxidation
perfusion
See all rhymes for procrastination →
Frequently asked questions
What is procrastination?
Delaying a task you intend to do, usually in favour of something less demanding, even though you expect the delay to make things worse. The key part is that it is voluntary and against your own better judgement.
Is procrastination the same as laziness?
No. Laziness is an unwillingness to expend effort at all. Procrastinators often work hard on other things while avoiding the one task — the avoidance is usually about the feeling attached to the task, such as anxiety or perfectionism, rather than about effort.
What is the literal meaning of procrastinate?
It comes from the Latin "cras," meaning tomorrow — so procrastinating is literally putting something forward to tomorrow.
What is the meaning of procrastination?
"procrastination" (noun) means putting off something that needs doing, usually in favour of something easier or more pleasant, despite knowing the delay will cost you.
