procrastinate

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of procrastinate are dally, dawdle, delay, lag, and loiter. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.

procrastinates about making decisions

When could dally be used to replace procrastinate?

While the synonyms dally and procrastinate are close in meaning, dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary.

stop dallying and get to work

When might delay be a better fit than procrastinate?

In some situations, the words delay and procrastinate are roughly equivalent. 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 procrastinate?

While in some cases nearly identical to procrastinate, lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others.

lagging behind in technology

How are the words loiter and dawdle related as synonyms of procrastinate?

Both 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of procrastinate Nearly 33% of Americans procrastinate filing their taxes, according to a survey from real estate company IPX1031, which polled roughly 1,000 U.S. residents in January. Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2025 People procrastinate, and couples usually have to call, text, or email right before the cutoff date. Alice Gibbs, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025 Some Americans may be ahead of the game, having filed their returns already with the Internal Revenue Service, while many others may be looking to procrastinate it as long as possible. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025 Third, CFOs’ (non) responses to these eight questions will swiftly inform boards if AI readiness is serious, a passing curiosity or simply procrastinating lip service. Noah Barsky, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for procrastinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for procrastinate
Verb
  • Even so, merely delaying the change doesn't help others and, frankly, customer service could still suffer longer term.
    Susan Tompor, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
  • China’s chief antitrust regulator is currently reviewing the BlackRock-Hutchison deal, effectively delaying the transaction before it was expected to be signed on April 2.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Inflation has fallen from a 40-year peak of 9.1% in 2022, but the last stretch to meet the Fed's 2% goal has stalled.
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
  • While former President Joe Biden sought to revive the deal, negotiations stalled, and Trump's second-term policies have further tightened sanctions.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • If no shelter is available, crawl to an interior wall away from windows.
    Helena Wegner, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Senators from both sides of the aisle are reigniting efforts to crawl back technology companies’ legal immunities with hopes bipartisan support in Congress could push the bill across the finish line this session and gain the backing of President Trump.
    Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The average is dragged lower by the three most recent economic contractions, which were all atypical.
    Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • How to Train Your Dragon is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 13, 2025, so the wait won’t drag on for too long.
    Michael Savio, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Procrastinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/procrastinate. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on procrastinate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!