Goof Off

There are many ways to waste time, and some have fun words to say: lollygag, dilly-dally, laze, and dawdle. So don't hesitate, start now, and learn every one! For more synonym lists, explore our Say What You Mean resources.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. procrastinate
    waste time or postpone doing what one should be doing
    “As you can see, that leaves almost no time for brooding, lagging, plodding, or procrastinating, and if we stopped to think or laugh, we’d never get nothing done.” The Phantom Tollbooth
  2. dilly-dally
    waste time or postpone doing what one should be doing
    And I have to save it, and what on earth am I doing, dilly-dallying here? The Girl Who Drank the Moon
  3. loaf
    be lazy or idle
    In the meantime, when we are off duty, we loaf around. All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel
  4. slack
    avoid responsibilities and work, be idle
    Mom looked at me and added, “It’s not unusual for an athlete, during the season, to slack off a little.” Tangerine
  5. dawdle
    take one's time; proceed slowly
    Harry dawdled behind, taking an inordinate amount of time to do up his bag. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  6. idle
    not in action or at work
    Her cousin wasn’t exactly idle, but she was never given the really difficult tasks. A Girl Named Disaster
  7. lollygag
    loaf about and waste time; dawdle
    Marita went on: I leave school at five p.m., and if I don’t lollygag around, then I will get home around five-thirty. Outliers
  8. shirk
    avoid one's assigned duties
    But whether or not Valentin wanted to be there leading the 587th, and whether or not they wanted him there, he wasn’t going to shirk his responsibility as a commander. A Thousand Sisters
  9. lounge
    be about
    The grown-ups lounged in the sun like they didn’t have a worry in the world. I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964
  10. tarry
    stay longer than you should
    “Amelia, go down and fetch Henry immediately. Tell that man not to tarry.” Ophie's Ghosts
  11. linger
    take one's time; proceed slowly
    They seemed to linger on the field, drawing out their notes, waiting. Stargirl
  12. trifle
    waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently
    He trifled about, hoping that she was somewhere in the neighborhood and would soon return.
    – Sister Carrie
  13. stall
    waste time or postpone doing what one should be doing
    “Sorry, I tried to stall him as best I could.” The Mysterious Benedict Society
  14. laze
    be idle
    Eventually, when I get tired of playing, I’ll go to my room and laze around for hours on my zebra-print comforter, flipping through gymnastics magazines as the delicious aroma of dinner fills the house. Courage to Soar
  15. postpone
    hold back to a later time
    If only this whole thing could be postponed for a few hours, until he had rested some! Native Son
Created on Thu Dec 14 13:19:01 EST 2023 (updated Wed Feb 14 11:38:04 EST 2024)

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