loiter
To hang around a place with nothing to do.
loiter in a sentence
- A group of teens loitered by the shop doorway, kicking at stones.
- A sign at the station said 'Do not loiter', so we could not hang about on the platform.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to loiter?
- Alinger
- Brush
- Cleave
- Dhurry
Show the answer
A: linger. The other three mean the opposite of loiter.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to loiter?
- Ahurry
- Bstay
- Clinger
- Dwait
Show the answer
A: hurry. The other three mean nearly the same as loiter.
Words that mean something similar
linger, wait, stay
Words that mean the opposite
hurry, rush, leave
More words about movement & action
- lope: To run with long, easy strides.
- lumber: To move in a slow, heavy and clumsy way.
- lunge: To make a sudden powerful movement towards something.
- lurch: To move suddenly with an unsteady jerk.
- lurk: To wait quietly out of sight, often to do something bad.
- meander: To wander slowly along a winding path.
- merge: To join together and become one.
- muster: To gather people together, or to summon up courage or strength.
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