ENGLISH
REFERENCE

procrastinate

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //pɹəˈkɹæstəˌneɪt// UK //pɹəkɹˈɑːstɪnˌeɪt// pro·cras·ti·nate

v. to delay doing something you should do, especially because you are lazy or worried. You often do this when you have a task that feels hard or boring.

v. to delay or postpone action or decision, typically through a lack of willpower or a desire to avoid unpleasant tasks. Often used intransitively with 'on' or 'about'.


SIMPLE

I always procrastinate on my homework until the last minute.

CONTEXTUAL

Many students find themselves procrastinate on their final essays until the night before the deadline.

COMPLEX

While some view procrastination as a simple lack of discipline, psychological research suggests it is often a coping mechanism for tasks that trigger anxiety or perfectionism.

Synonyms
Origin

First attested in 1548; from Latin prōcrastinātus, perfect passive participle of prōcrastinō (“defer, put off till tomorrow”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from prō- (“in favor of”) + crāstinus (“of or belonging to tomorrow”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), from crās (“tomorrow”).

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