shilly shally

shilly shally
Synonyms and related words:
alternate, back and fill, back down, balance, change, dally, dawdle, debate, delay, deliberate, demur, dillydally, dither, drag, equivocate, falter, fear, flag, fluctuate, goof off, halt, hang back, hem and haw, hesitate, hover, hum and haw, jib, lag, linger, loiter, lollygag, oscillate, pause, pendulate, ponder, pull back, retreat, scruple, shift, shy, stick at, stickle, stop to consider, straddle the fence, strain at, tarry, teeter, tergiversate, think twice about, totter, trail, vacillate, vary, waste time, waver, withdraw, wobble, yield

Moby Thesaurus. . 1996.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • shilly-shally — shilly shallier, n. /shil ee shal ee/, v., shilly shallied, shilly shallying, n., pl. shilly shallies, adj., adv. v.i. 1. to show indecision or hesitation; be irresolute; vacillate. 2. to waste time; dawdle. n. 3. irresolution; indecision;… …   Universalium

  • Shilly-shally — Shil ly shal ly, n. Irresolution; hesitation; also, occupation with trifles. [1913 Webster] She lost not one of her forty five minutes in picking and choosing, no shilly shally in Kate. De Quincey. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shilly-shally — If people shilly shally, they can t make up their minds about something and put off the decision …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • shilly-shally — ► VERB (shilly shallies, shilly shallied) ▪ be indecisive. ► NOUN ▪ indecisive behaviour. ORIGIN originally as shill I, shall I, reduplication of shall I? …   English terms dictionary

  • shilly-shally — [shil′ē shal΄ē] adv. [redupl. of shall I? meaning “shall I or shall I not?”] Now Rare in a vacillating manner; irresolutely n. Now Rare vacillation or irresolution, esp. over a trivial matter vi. shilly shallied, shilly shallying to be… …   English World dictionary

  • Shilly-shally — Shil ly shal ly, v. i. To hesitate; to act in an irresolute manner; hence, to occupy one s self with trifles. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shilly-shally — (adj.) vacillate, 1703, earlier shill I, shall I (1700), fanciful reduplication of shall I? (Cf. WISHY WASHY (Cf. wishy washy), DILLY DALLY (Cf. dilly dally), etc.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • shilly-shally — UK [ˈʃɪlɪ ˌʃælɪ] / US verb [intransitive] Word forms shilly shally : present tense I/you/we/they shilly shally he/she/it shilly shallies present participle shilly shallying past tense shilly shallied past participle shilly shallied informal to… …   English dictionary

  • shilly-shally —    If people shilly shally, they can t make up their minds about something and put off the decision.   (Dorking School Dictionary)    ***    If you shilly shally, you hesitate a lot about something and have difficulty reaching a decision.    … …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • Shilly-shally — Shill I shall I Shill I shall I, Shilly shally Shil ly shal ly, adv. [A reduplication of shall I.] In an irresolute, undecided, or hesitating manner. [1913 Webster] I am somewhat dainty in making a resolution, because when I make it, I keep it; I …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shilly-shally — verb To procrastinate or vacillate. Whatever you do, dont shilly shally no longer …   Wiktionary

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