[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/dawdle/)

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# dawdle

verb (dawdle, dawdles, dawdled, dawdling)

«dawdle» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

To dawdle is to walk or do something too slowly, wasting time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dawdle/#m1)

### In the lessons

Common in parents' and teachers' talk («Don't dawdle!»), school mornings, stories.

### Examples

- Don't dawdle, we'll miss the bus! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dawdle/#x1)
- He dawdled on his way to school. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dawdle/#x2)
- Stop dawdling and finish your breakfast. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dawdle/#x3)
- She dawdled behind, looking at shop windows. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dawdle/#x4)
- The tortoise didn't dawdle; it kept going. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dawdle/#x5)
- If you dawdle in the shop, the ice cream will melt. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dawdle/#x6)
- I know when I may dawdle and when I may not." [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dawdle/#x7)

### Note

Informal. Person: dawdler. Similar: dilly-dally, loiter.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «dawdle» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dawdle/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«dawdle» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/dawdle.html) on Mova free.