Nominal Forms
Infinitive: to dilly-dally
Participle: dilly-dallied
Gerund: dilly-dallying
Cognates
-
Indicative
Present
| I | dilly-dally |
| you | dilly-dally |
| he;she;it | dilly-dallies |
| we | dilly-dally |
| you | dilly-dally |
| they | dilly-dally |
Perfect
| I | have dilly-dallied |
| you | have dilly-dallied |
| he;she;it | has dilly-dallied |
| we | have dilly-dallied |
| you | have dilly-dallied |
| they | have dilly-dallied |
Past
| I | dilly-dallied |
| you | dilly-dallied |
| he;she;it | dilly-dallied |
| we | dilly-dallied |
| you | dilly-dallied |
| they | dilly-dallied |
Pluperfect
| I | had dilly-dallied |
| you | had dilly-dallied |
| he;she;it | had dilly-dallied |
| we | had dilly-dallied |
| you | had dilly-dallied |
| they | had dilly-dallied |
Future
| I | will dilly-dally |
| you | will dilly-dally |
| he;she;it | will dilly-dally |
| we | will dilly-dally |
| you | will dilly-dally |
| they | will dilly-dally |
Future Perfect
| I | will have dilly-dallied |
| you | will have dilly-dallied |
| he;she;it | will have dilly-dallied |
| we | will have dilly-dallied |
| you | will have dilly-dallied |
| they | will have dilly-dallied |
Subjunctive
Present
| I | dilly-dally |
| you | dilly-dally |
| he;she;it | dilly-dally |
| we | dilly-dally |
| you | dilly-dally |
| they | dilly-dally |
Perfect
| I | have dilly-dallied |
| you | have dilly-dallied |
| he;she;it | have dilly-dallied |
| we | have dilly-dallied |
| you | have dilly-dallied |
| they | have dilly-dallied |
Imperfect
| I | dilly-dallied |
| you | dilly-dallied |
| he;she;it | dilly-dallied |
| we | dilly-dallied |
| you | dilly-dallied |
| they | dilly-dallied |
Pluperfect
| I | had dilly-dallied |
| you | had dilly-dallied |
| he;she;it | had dilly-dallied |
| we | had dilly-dallied |
| you | had dilly-dallied |
| they | had dilly-dallied |
Conditional
Present
| I | would dilly-dally |
| you | would dilly-dally |
| he;she;it | would dilly-dally |
| we | would dilly-dally |
| you | would dilly-dally |
| they | would dilly-dally |
Perfect
| I | would have dilly-dallied |
| you | would have dilly-dallied |
| he;she;it | would have dilly-dallied |
| we | would have dilly-dallied |
| you | would have dilly-dallied |
| they | would have dilly-dallied |
Imperative
| you | dilly-dally |
| we | Let's dilly-dally |
| you | dilly-dally |
Verbs conjugated like 'dilly-dally'
accompany,
acetify,
acidify,
adsignify,
affy,
alacrify,
alkalify,
ally,
amnesty,
amplify,
angelify,
anglicify,
anglify,
apology,
apply,
arefy,
argufy,
astony,
atrophy,
avowtry, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)
Verbs similar to 'dilly-dally'
dillydally,
shilly-shally,
disally,
hillbilly,
all-hail,
bellycrawl,
blue-ball,
dally,
diddle-daddle,
dilapidate,
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
- to be idle
- arse about, arse around, bludge, bum around, cabbage, clown around, dawdle, dick about, dick around, drumble, faff, faff about, faff around, fanny about, fanny around, fart about, fart around, fiddle about, fiddle around, fool about, fool around, footle, goof around, goof off, hang about, hang around, hang out, horse around, idle, jerk off, lallygag, laze, laze about, laze around, linger, loaf, loaf about, loaf around, loiter, lollygag, mess around, mill about, mill around, muck about, muck around, tarry, waste time, while
Additional Information
Phrasal Verbs
Etymology
Reduplication of dally.
Sample Sentences
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It is something to have been an old soldier, but more still to have been a doctor. There is no time to dilly-dally in our work. [1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:]
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“I wouldn't dilly-dally long if I were you,” said Harkless, and his advice seemed good to the shell-men. [1899, Booth Tarkington, The Gentleman from Indiana, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday & McClure Co., published 1900, →OCLC:]
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It likewise manifests the frankness of men who do not dilly-dally with terms, but who say what they mean, and who mean to settle down to a long, hard fight. [1905 April, Jack London, “(please specify the page)”, in War of the Classes, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:]
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No one can accuse the filmmakers of dillydallying; no sooner have the opening credits ended than we’re watching, via a mirrored ceiling, a couple writhing naked in coital ecstasy. [2022 March 20, Jason Bailey, “‘Basic Instinct’ at 30: A Time Capsule That Can Still Offend”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:]