loiter

C2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈlɔɪtɚ/ UK /ˈlɔɪtə(ɹ)/ See IPA manual

Freq #40904

Meanings

1

verb
To stand or wait around a place with no clear purpose.

A group of teenagers was loitering outside the shop after dark.
2

verb
To move slowly and delay, instead of going straight on.

Don't loiter on the way home; dinner will be ready soon.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to stand or wait around a... hang aroundlinger tarry

More bludgecabbage dally dawdlediddledilly-dallydretchdrumblefafffootleforslow idle

Opposites

energize leavescrafflescramble work

Word family

Forms loiteredloiterersloiteringloiters

Derived forms antiloiteringfloyderloiter-sackloiteratureloitererloiteringly

Related forms idler lazy shirk

Etymology

From Middle English loitren, from Middle Dutch loteren ("to shake, wag, wobble"; > modern Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle, ramble”)), ultimately connected with a frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *lūtaną (“to bend, stoop, cower, shrink from, decline”), see lout. Cognate with Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle”), Alemannic German lottern (“to wobble”), German lottern (“live a slovenly life”). More at lout, little.

loitren Middle English loteren Middle Dutch *lūtaną Proto-Germanic

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Topics

Space, Position & Direction Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# loiter

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈlɔɪtɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈlɔɪtə(ɹ)/
**Frequency rank:** 40904

## Meanings
1. To stand or wait around a place with no clear purpose.
2. To move slowly and delay, instead of going straight on.

## Examples
- A group of teenagers was loitering outside the shop after dark.
- Don't loiter on the way home; dinner will be ready soon.

## Synonyms
- bludge
- cabbage
- dally
- dawdle
- diddle
- dilly-dally
- dretch
- drumble
- faff
- footle
- forslow
- idle

## Antonyms
- energize
- leave
- scraffle
- scramble
- work

## Derived Forms
- antiloitering
- floyder
- loiter-sack
- loiterature
- loiterer
- loiteringly

## Related Forms
- idler
- lazy
- shirk

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: loitren
- Root: loteren
- Root: *lūtaną

## Etymology
From Middle English loitren, from Middle Dutch loteren ("to shake, wag, wobble"; > modern Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle, ramble”)), ultimately connected with a frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *lūtaną (“to bend, stoop, cower, shrink from, decline”), see lout. Cognate with Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle”), Alemannic German lottern (“to wobble”), German lottern (“live a slovenly life”). More at lout, little.

## AI Etymology
Loiter is from Middle English loitren, from Middle Dutch loteren ("to shake, wag, wobble"; > modern Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle, ramble”)), ultimately connected with a frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *lūtaną (“to bend, stoop, cower, shrink from, decline”), see lout. Cognate with Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle”), Alemannic German lottern (“to wobble”), German lottern (“live a slovenly life”). More at lout, little. Important recorded forms include loitren (Middle English), loteren (Middle Dutch), and *lūtaną (Proto-Germanic). Current senses include to stand or wait around a place with no clear purpose and to move slowly and delay, instead of going straight on. The wider family includes derived forms such as antiloitering, floyder, loiter-sack, loiterature, and loiterer; related words such as idler, lazy, and shirk.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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loiter

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