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Dawdled: meaning, definitions and examples

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dawdled

 

[ ˈdɔː.dəl ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

delay, waste time

To dawdle means to waste time or to move slowly without purpose. Often, this action involves avoiding tasks or responsibilities by engaging in trivial activities.

Synonyms

dally, linger, loiter, meander, procrastinate

Examples of usage

  • Stop dawdling and finish your homework.
  • She dawdled in the park instead of going to the meeting.
  • He tends to dawdle when he's supposed to be working.
  • We dawdled on our way home, enjoying the beautiful sunset.

Translations

Translations of the word "dawdled" in other languages:

🇵🇹 perdeu tempo

🇮🇳 लम्बा खींचना

🇩🇪 trödelte

🇮🇩 berlama-lama

🇺🇦 зволікав

🇵🇱 zawalił czas

🇯🇵 だらだらする

🇫🇷 traînait

🇪🇸 tardó

🇹🇷 oyalandı

🇰🇷 꾸물꾸물하다

🇸🇦 تأخر

🇨🇿 otáleli

🇸🇰 zdržoval

🇨🇳 磨蹭

🇸🇮 zavlačeval

🇮🇸 seinka

🇰🇿 кешікті

🇬🇪 დრო დაკარგა

🇦🇿 vaxt itirdi

🇲🇽 tardó

Etymology

The word 'dawdle' originates from the late 16th century, derived from the British dialect verb 'dawdle', meaning to waste time or move slowly. It is believed to be a blend of Middle English 'dawdle', which means to be lazy or idle, and the word 'addle', which is from Old English and means to confuse or muddle. Over the centuries, 'dawdle' has retained its connotation of slowness and idleness, often implying that the person is procrastinating by engaging in unproductive behavior. It illustrates a tendency to avoid urgency or responsibilities, often by taking detours into less important activities.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #36,045, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.