verb
tarry
TA-ree
verb
1
(literary) To stay somewhere longer than planned, or to delay leaving.
"They tarried by the river long after the sun had set."
"Don't tarry — we need to leave before the storm arrives."
How to Use Tarry
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo linger or delay somewhere, rather than moving on.
When to use it
Old-fashioned or literary — you'll see it in older texts and poetic writing more than everyday speech.
Common pairings
tarry awhile
don't tarry
Word Forms
tarrier comparative, tarried past tense, tarries plural, Tarrys plural, tarries singular, tarriest superlative
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Don't _____ — we need to leave before the storm arrives.
Etymology
From Middle English tarien, from an Old English word meaning to vex or provoke; the sense shifted over time to "linger."