English Explanatory Dictionary

dawdle

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. Chiefly followed by away: to spend (time) without haste or purpose.
  2. To spend time idly and unfruitfully; to waste time.
  3. To move or walk lackadaisically.
noun
  1. An act of spending time idly and unfruitfully; a dawdling.
  2. An act of moving or walking lackadaisically, a dawdling; a leisurely or slow walk or other journey.
  3. Synonym of dawdler (“a person who dawdles or idles”).
noun
  1. Alternative spelling of doddle (“a job, task, or other activity that is easy to complete or simple”).

Pronunciation

/ˈdɔːdl̩/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-dawdle.wav /ˈdɔdl̩/ /ˈdɑdl̩/ /ˈdɒdl̩/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-doddle.wav

Word forms

dawdle dawdles dawdling dawdled no-table-tags glossary dawdlest dawdledst dawdleth daudle

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

fiddle away dally dilly-dally take one's time arse about arse around bludge bum around cabbage clown around dawdle dick about dick around diddle dretch drumble faff faff about faff around fanny about fanny around fart about fart around fiddle about fiddle around fool about fool around footle forslow goof around goof off hang about hang around hang out horse around idle jerk off lallygag lamp laze laze about laze around linger loaf loaf about loaf around loiter lollop lollygag mess around mill about mill around muck about muck around piddle pingle stand by tarry tool around waste time

Derived words

dawdler dawdlesome dawdling dawdlingly
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