dillydally: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
lowinformal, somewhat old-fashioned, playful
Quick answer
What does “dillydally” mean?
To waste time through indecision or aimless activity.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To waste time through indecision or aimless activity; to delay unnecessarily.
To act in an indecisive, hesitant, or slow manner, often while considering trivial matters or engaging in procrastination.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Used in both varieties, but perceived as slightly more British. In American English, alternatives like 'dawdle' or 'lollygag' might be more common in some regions.
Connotations
Light-hearted criticism, often used by a parent to a child or between friends. Implies foolish or unnecessary delay.
Frequency
Overall low frequency in both varieties, but it appears in traditional children's stories and older colloquial speech more than in modern formal communication.
Grammar
How to Use “dillydally” in a Sentence
Subject + Verb (intransitive)Subject + Verb + Prepositional Phrase (e.g., over/around/about something)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “dillydally” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We can't dillydally if we want to catch the last train.
- She tends to dillydally over choosing a flavour.
- Stop dillydallying and make up your mind!
American English
- Quit dillydallying and get in the car!
- He dillydallied around the store for an hour.
- There's no time to dillydally if we're going to make the deadline.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Highly uncommon and inappropriate; would sound unprofessional.
Academic
Virtually never used; too informal and imprecise.
Everyday
Used in casual conversation, especially when playfully admonishing someone for being slow.
Technical
Not applicable in any technical context.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “dillydally”
- Using it in formal writing.
- Using it transitively (e.g., 'He dillydallied the decision' is incorrect).
- Misspelling as 'dilly-dally' (hyphenated form is accepted but less common in modern usage).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is informal and somewhat old-fashioned. It is used in casual speech, often in a playful or mildly critical way.
Rarely. Its primary and almost exclusive use is as a verb. The noun form 'dilly-dallier' exists but is very uncommon.
'Procrastinate' is more general and formal, meaning to delay any task. 'Dillydally' is more specific, suggesting indecisive, trivial, or aimless activity as the cause of the delay, and is informal.
Modern dictionaries often list 'dillydally' as the main headword. The hyphenated form 'dilly-dally' is an accepted variant, but the solid form is increasingly standard.
To waste time through indecision or aimless activity.
Dillydally: in British English it is pronounced /ˌdɪliˈdæli/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌdɪliˈdæli/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Don't dilly-dally!”
- “Dilly-dallying won't get the job done.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of two people named 'Dilly' and 'Dally' who are always late because they can't decide what to do.
Conceptual Metaphor
Indecision as circular or back-and-forth motion (like the sound of the word).
Practice
Quiz
In which of the following contexts would 'dillydally' be LEAST appropriate?