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- Dictionarydawdle/ˈdɔːdl/
verb
- 1. waste time; be slow: "she mustn't dawdle—she had to make the call now" Similar Opposite
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The meaning of DAWDLE is to spend time idly. How to use dawdle in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Dawdle.
DAWDLE definition: 1. to do something or go somewhere very slowly, taking more time than is necessary: 2. to do…. Learn more.
DAWDLE meaning: 1. to do something or go somewhere very slowly, taking more time than is necessary: 2. to do…. Learn more.
Dawdle definition: to waste time; idle; trifle; loiter. See examples of DAWDLE used in a sentence.
If you dawdle over something, you spend more time than is necessary doing something.
1. To take more time than necessary: dawdled through breakfast. 2. To move aimlessly or lackadaisically: dawdling on the way to work. v.tr. To waste (time) by idling: dawdling the hours away. [Perhaps alteration of dialectal daddle, to diddle .] daw′dler n. daw′dling·ly adv. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
Dawdle implies not only taking extra time but actually wasting it. A leisurely walk in the woods is one thing, but if you have to get to the theater on time, don't dawdle along the way: you'll miss the curtain!