Synonyms of loiter

loiter

verb

ˈlȯi-tər 

as in to linger

to move or act slowly

don't loiter in this neighborhood after dark

Synonyms & Similar Words

• linger
• delay
• crawl
• poke
• drag
• stroll
• dawdle
• creep
• mope
• play
• lollygag
• tarry
• lag
• fall behind
• diddle
• mark time
• stall
• idle
• shuffle
• drop behind
• lounge
• lallygag
• hang fire
• stagger
• saunter
• dillydally
• shilly-shally
• dally
• amble
• drag one's heels
• take one's time
• trifle
• drag one's feet
• loll
• fool around
• fiddle (around)
• hang (around or out)
• putter (around)
• potter (around)
• decelerate
• monkey (around)
• loaf
• plod
• mess around
• slow (down or up)
• procrastinate
• temporize
• inch
• ease
• lumber
• filibuster

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fly
• hurry
• scurry
• course
• hasten
• rush
• run
• race
• scoot
• speed
• tear
• career
• rip
• rocket
• whirl
• whisk
• dash
• breeze
• dart
• zip
• bolt
• hustle
• run
• barrel
• scramble
• hurtle
• jog
• hump
• scud
• whizz
• gallop
• trot
• whiz
• accelerate
• stampede
• sprint
• hotfoot (it)
• quicken
• speed (up)
• overtake
• bowl
• outrun
• outstrip
• catch up
• outpace
• fast-forward

Synonym Chooser

How is the word loiter different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of loiter are dally, dawdle, delay, lag, and procrastinate. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time.

loitered at several store windows

children dawdling on their way home from school

When might dally be a better fit than loiter?

The words dally and loiter can be used in similar contexts, but dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary.

stop dallying and get to work

When is it sensible to use delay instead of loiter?

The meanings of delay and loiter largely overlap; however, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure).

we cannot delay any longer

When can lag be used instead of loiter?

While the synonyms lag and loiter are close in meaning, lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others.

lagging behind in technology

When is procrastinate a more appropriate choice than loiter?

The words procrastinate and loiter are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.

procrastinates about making decisions

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of loiter

Russian forces have made extensive use of drones bearing a striking resemblance to Iran's Shahed line of loitering munitions, and instances of North Korean artillery and even troops on the battlefield in Ukraine have been presented by U.S. and South Korean intelligence. —David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025

For reasons unknown — maybe the lil’ guy was cursed by a Roma traveler, or became possessed by malevolent spirits previously loitering in a fancy Colorado hotel, or simply hung out too long with an evil clown who lives in the sewer — the automaton’s musical chops causes mayhem and carnage. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2025

This comes on the heels of reports of drones that loitered over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia off and on for nearly two weeks. —Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Dec. 2024

At the time of Fassler’s field study, in 2021, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic had plunged the neighborhood into such a distressed state that loitering there felt unsafe. —Mara Hoberman, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025