Word
dawdle
Phoneticsdaw·dle, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdɔdəɫ/
UK/dˈɔːdəl/
Definition
v. to move very slowly or take too much time to do something. You might do this when you don't want to go somewhere or when you are easily distracted.
v. to move aimlessly or lackadaisically, thereby wasting time; to linger needlessly behind others. Often implies a lack of focus or a deliberate attempt to delay an arrival or task.
Examples
“Don't dawdle on your way to school or you will be late.”
“The children tended to dawdle by the shop windows, turning a ten-minute walk into a half-hour journey.”
“While the rest of the hikers pressed on toward the summit, a few stayed behind to dawdle near the stream, captivated by the local flora.”
Examples
simple
“Don't dawdle on your way to school or you will be late.”
contextual
“The children tended to dawdle by the shop windows, turning a ten-minute walk into a half-hour journey.”
complex
“While the rest of the hikers pressed on toward the summit, a few stayed behind to dawdle near the stream, captivated by the local flora.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “dawdle” in context.
Verb
01. dawdle along
“The children dawdled along the path, stopping to look at every insect.”
verb + prep
02. dawdle behind
“He tended to dawdle behind the rest of the group to take photographs.”
verb + prep
03. dawdle over
“Stop dawdling over your breakfast or you will miss the school bus.”
verb + prep
04. dawdle on the way
“Please come straight home from school and do not dawdle on the way.”
05. no time to dawdle
“We have a tight schedule today, so there is absolutely no time to dawdle.”
Usage
Intransitive; often followed by 'over' or 'on' when referring to a specific task.
Real-World Examples
“I’d dawdled for too long around the Unesco-listed monasteries of Debed Canyon, and by the time I arrived in late afternoon, the marshrutkas, I gathered via sign language, were resolutely done for the day.” “The 50m path outside the terminal was exclusively for walkers moving faster than 3mph (the average walking speed), and featured signs saying, “No dawdling, no texting, no Pokémon Go.” Etymology
The verb may be a British dialectal variant of daddle, meaning to walk or work slowly, dawdle, saunter, or trifle, or of doddle, meaning to walk feebly or slowly, dawdle, idle, saunter, or stroll, possibly influenced by daw, a British dialectal word for a lazy, good-for-nothing person or sluggard.
Alternatively, it may have been borrowed from Middle Low German dȫdelen, related to Saterland Frisian döädelje; compare also German daddeln, meaning to play, and verdaddeln, meaning to waste time, neglect, or ruin. All of these words are assumed to be of imitative origin. The noun is derived from the verb.
A variant of doddle.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Rare
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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