dally

C2+ Topic:Time

US /ˈdæli/ UK /ˈdæli/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to waste time idly or flirt casually

Don't dally; the train leaves in ten minutes.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to waste time idly or flirt... dawdle loiter linger flirt trifle procrastinate

Opposites

hurry hasten rush

Word family

Derived forms dalliancedallier

Etymology

From Middle English dalien ('to talk idly, flirt'), probably from Anglo-Norman dalier ('to amuse oneself'), of uncertain origin.

dalier Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Time Word Formation & Derivatives

# dally

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˈdæli
**IPA (UK):** ˈdæli

## Meanings
1. to waste time idly or flirt casually

## Examples
- Don't dally; the train leaves in ten minutes.

## Synonyms
- dawdle
- loiter
- linger
- flirt
- trifle
- procrastinate

## Antonyms
- hurry
- hasten
- rush

## Derived Forms
- dalliance
- dallier

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dalier

## Etymology
From Middle English dalien ('to talk idly, flirt'), probably from Anglo-Norman dalier ('to amuse oneself'), of uncertain origin.

## AI Etymology
Dally is from Middle English dalien ('to talk idly, flirt'), probably from Anglo-Norman dalier ('to amuse oneself'), of uncertain origin. The immediate etymological form is Old French dalier. In present use as a verb, it means "to waste time idly or flirt casually", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Because the origin is uncertain, the safest account is descriptive: the attested senses can be explained, but the ultimate formation remains unresolved. Derived forms include dalliance and dallier.

## Topics
- Time
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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dally

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