dawdle
To walk or do something slowly because you are wasting time.
dawdle in a sentence
- 'Stop dawdling and hurry up,' called Mum, as Ben trailed slowly behind, kicking every stone on the path.
- If you dawdle over breakfast this morning, we will miss the ferry, so eat up quickly.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to dawdle?
- Ahurry
- Bdash
- Crush
- Dlinger
Show the answer
D: linger. The other three mean the opposite of dawdle.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to dawdle?
- Alinger
- Bhurry
- Clag
- Ddrag
Show the answer
B: hurry. The other three mean nearly the same as dawdle.
Words that mean something similar
linger, lag, drag
Words that mean the opposite
hurry, rush, dash
Careful: dawdle is not procrastinate
Dawdling is doing it slowly. Procrastinating is putting off starting. Read why children mix them up.
More words about movement & action
- deft: Quick and skilful, especially with your hands.
- demolish: To knock something down completely.
- descend: To go or climb down.
- devour: To eat something quickly and greedily.
- dexterous: Very skilful and quick with your hands.
- disperse: To scatter and go off in different directions.
- effortless: Done easily, without seeming to try hard at all.
- elevate: To lift something up to a higher position.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test