"dilly-dally" meaning in All languages combined

See dilly-dally on Wiktionary

Verb [English]

IPA: /ˈdɪliˌdæli/ Forms: dilly-dallies [present, singular, third-person], dilly-dallying [participle, present], dilly-dallied [participle, past], dilly-dallied [past]
Etymology: Reduplication of dally. Etymology templates: {{reduplication|en|dally}} Reduplication of dally Head templates: {{en-verb}} dilly-dally (third-person singular simple present dilly-dallies, present participle dilly-dallying, simple past and past participle dilly-dallied)
  1. (intransitive) To dawdle; to waste time; to procrastinate. Tags: intransitive Synonyms: loiter, procrastinate, dilly dally, dillydally Translations (to waste time): 磨蹭 (mócèng) (Chinese Mandarin), hengailla (Finnish), velttoilla (Finnish), luumuilla (Finnish), puuhastella (Finnish), procrastiner (French), trödeln (German), Zeit vertrödeln (German), gingillarsi (Italian), procrastinare (Italian), mūgīnor (Latin), се колеба (se koleba) (Macedonian), hāmure (Maori), tonanawe (Maori), procrastinar (Portuguese), тра́тить вре́мя впусту́ю (trátitʹ vrémja vpustúju) [imperfective] (Russian), безде́льничать (bezdélʹničatʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), прохлажда́ться (proxlaždátʹsja) [imperfective] (Russian), procrastinar (Spanish), prokrastinera (Swedish)

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dally"
      },
      "expansion": "Reduplication of dally",
      "name": "reduplication"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Reduplication of dally.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "dilly-dallies",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dilly-dallying",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dilly-dallied",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dilly-dallied",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "dilly-dally (third-person singular simple present dilly-dallies, present participle dilly-dallying, simple past and past participle dilly-dallied)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English apophonic reduplications",
          "parents": [
            "Apophonic reduplications",
            "Reduplications",
            "Terms by etymology"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English reduplications",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Latin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Macedonian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Maori translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:",
          "text": "It is something to have been an old soldier, but more still to have been a doctor. There is no time to dilly-dally in our work.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1899, Booth Tarkington, The Gentleman from Indiana, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday & McClure Co., published 1900, →OCLC:",
          "text": "“I wouldn't dilly-dally long if I were you,” said Harkless, and his advice seemed good to the shell-men.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1905 April, Jack London, “(please specify the page)”, in War of the Classes, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:",
          "text": "It likewise manifests the frankness of men who do not dilly-dally with terms, but who say what they mean, and who mean to settle down to a long, hard fight.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 March 20, Jason Bailey, “‘Basic Instinct’ at 30: A Time Capsule That Can Still Offend”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "No one can accuse the filmmakers of dillydallying; no sooner have the opening credits ended than we’re watching, via a mirrored ceiling, a couple writhing naked in coital ecstasy.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To dawdle; to waste time; to procrastinate."
      ],
      "id": "en-dilly-dally-en-verb-6HEWgkns",
      "links": [
        [
          "dawdle",
          "dawdle"
        ],
        [
          "waste time",
          "waste time"
        ],
        [
          "procrastinate",
          "procrastinate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To dawdle; to waste time; to procrastinate."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "loiter"
        },
        {
          "word": "procrastinate"
        },
        {
          "word": "dilly dally"
        },
        {
          "word": "dillydally"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "mócèng",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "磨蹭"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "hengailla"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "velttoilla"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "luumuilla"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "puuhastella"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "procrastiner"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "trödeln"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "Zeit vertrödeln"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "gingillarsi"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "procrastinare"
        },
        {
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "mūgīnor"
        },
        {
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "se koleba",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "се колеба"
        },
        {
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "hāmure"
        },
        {
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "tonanawe"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "procrastinar"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "trátitʹ vrémja vpustúju",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "тра́тить вре́мя впусту́ю"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bezdélʹničatʹ",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "безде́льничать"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "proxlaždátʹsja",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "прохлажда́ться"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "procrastinar"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "prokrastinera"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈdɪliˌdæli/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "dilly-dally"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dally"
      },
      "expansion": "Reduplication of dally",
      "name": "reduplication"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Reduplication of dally.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "dilly-dallies",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dilly-dallying",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dilly-dallied",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dilly-dallied",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "dilly-dally (third-person singular simple present dilly-dallies, present participle dilly-dallying, simple past and past participle dilly-dallied)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English apophonic reduplications",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English reduplications",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Italian translations",
        "Terms with Latin translations",
        "Terms with Macedonian translations",
        "Terms with Mandarin translations",
        "Terms with Maori translations",
        "Terms with Portuguese translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "Terms with Swedish translations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:",
          "text": "It is something to have been an old soldier, but more still to have been a doctor. There is no time to dilly-dally in our work.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1899, Booth Tarkington, The Gentleman from Indiana, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday & McClure Co., published 1900, →OCLC:",
          "text": "“I wouldn't dilly-dally long if I were you,” said Harkless, and his advice seemed good to the shell-men.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1905 April, Jack London, “(please specify the page)”, in War of the Classes, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:",
          "text": "It likewise manifests the frankness of men who do not dilly-dally with terms, but who say what they mean, and who mean to settle down to a long, hard fight.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 March 20, Jason Bailey, “‘Basic Instinct’ at 30: A Time Capsule That Can Still Offend”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "No one can accuse the filmmakers of dillydallying; no sooner have the opening credits ended than we’re watching, via a mirrored ceiling, a couple writhing naked in coital ecstasy.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To dawdle; to waste time; to procrastinate."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "dawdle",
          "dawdle"
        ],
        [
          "waste time",
          "waste time"
        ],
        [
          "procrastinate",
          "procrastinate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To dawdle; to waste time; to procrastinate."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "loiter"
        },
        {
          "word": "procrastinate"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈdɪliˌdæli/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "dilly dally"
    },
    {
      "word": "dillydally"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "mócèng",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "磨蹭"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "hengailla"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "velttoilla"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "luumuilla"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "puuhastella"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "procrastiner"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "trödeln"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "Zeit vertrödeln"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "gingillarsi"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "procrastinare"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "mūgīnor"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "se koleba",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "се колеба"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "hāmure"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "tonanawe"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "procrastinar"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "trátitʹ vrémja vpustúju",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "тра́тить вре́мя впусту́ю"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bezdélʹničatʹ",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "безде́льничать"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "proxlaždátʹsja",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "прохлажда́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "procrastinar"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "prokrastinera"
    }
  ],
  "word": "dilly-dally"
}

Download raw JSONL data for dilly-dally meaning in All languages combined (5.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.