What does "dawdle" mean?
An act of spending time idly and unfruitfully; a dawdling.
Dawdle
/ˈdɔːdl̩/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act of spending time idly and unfruitfully; a dawdling.
- Grammar: dawdle is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: dally, abide, await, bide.
- Useful contrasts: hurried, beeline, beelines.
- Usage evidence: Now if you dawdle on the streets of Rome or Milan, police demand to see your travel papers and hurry you on, telling you to move quickly.
How to use "dawdle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dawdle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dawdle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dawdle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dawdle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dawdle" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dally" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dawdle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act of spending time idly and unfruitfully; a dawdling.
- 2 Alternative spelling of doddle (“a job, task, or other activity that is easy to complete or simple”). alt-of, alternative
"He was a QC from Edinburgh, wearing the black jacket and pinstripe trousers of his trade, as if straight from court, and probably persuaded to come in the belief that if you could interest the Budhill and Springboig party in the repressive Gaullist policies in Algeria then becoming Solicitor-General was a dawdle."
- 3 An act of moving or walking lackadaisically, a dawdling; a leisurely or slow walk or other journey.
"For many the journey home from school was not a walk but a ‘dawdle’: it was an everyday experience that added meaning to their lives."
- 4 Synonym of dawdler (“a person who dawdles or idles”).
"Lord, I have ſuch a deal to do, I ſhall ſcarce have time to ſlip on my Italian luteſting.—VVhere is this davvdle of a houſekeeper?"
Verb
- 1 Chiefly followed by away: to spend (time) without haste or purpose. transitive
"to dawdle away the whole morning"
- 2 hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc. wordnet
- 3 To spend time idly and unfruitfully; to waste time. intransitive
"Tell him, if he'll call on me, and davvdle over a diſh of tea in an afternoon, I ſhall take it kind."
- 4 waste time wordnet
- 5 To move or walk lackadaisically. intransitive
"If you dawdle on your daily walk, you won’t get as much exercise."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 take one's time; proceed slowly wordnet
Example
"Now if you dawdle on the streets of Rome or Milan, police demand to see your travel papers and hurry you on, telling you to move quickly."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dawdle"?
Common synonyms include: dally, abide, await, bide, bide the issue, bugger.
How do you use "dawdle" in a sentence?
Now if you dawdle on the streets of Rome or Milan, police demand to see your travel papers and hurry you on, telling you to move quickly.
How do you pronounce "dawdle"?
Pronounced /ˈdɔːdl̩/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The verb is possibly: * a variant of daddle (“(Britain, dialectal) to walk or work slowly, dawdle, saunter, trifle”) or doddle (“(Britain, dialectal) to walk feebly or slowly, dawdle, idle, saunter, stroll”), possibly influenced by daw (“(Britain, dialectal) lazy, good-for-nothing person, sluggard”); or * borrowed from Middle Low German dȫdelen (“to dawdle”), related to Saterland Frisian döädelje (“to dawdle”); compare also German daddeln (“to play”), German verdaddeln (“to waste (time), neglect, ruin”). All of these words are assumed to be of imitative origin. The noun is derived from the verb.
Etymology 2
A variant of doddle.