as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
fortunately, during the crisis there was no shilly-shallying on the part of the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ambivalent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hesitating
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shallying
Noun
-
This kind of training helps eliminate hesitation in critical moments.—
Oleg Fonarov,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025 -
For all his apparent hesitation, though, and his acknowledgment of the problems related to sports betting, Baker is also charged with helping his organization maximize profits.—
Made by History,
TIME,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Toddlers are often ambivalent about growing up and leaving their babyhood behind, and for this reason, change can be hard for them, says Dr. Widome.—
Laura Broadwell,
Parents,
18 Mar. 2025
-
This time the response to Fetterman’s pilgrimage, which caught most senior Democrats by surprise, was more ambivalent.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
That's an encouraging step, but consistency on the importance of vaccination is needed to overcome current levels of public hesitancy.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
-
The team’s hesitancy stemmed, in part, from its existing collection of nine-figure contracts.—
Dennis Lin,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Sunday will remain mild with highs near 52 and lingering rain chances.—
Nour Rahal,
Detroit Free Press,
24 Dec. 2024
-
In the days since, many people have reported unsafe road conditions and lingering snow — along with uncollected leaf piles from fall leaf collection that were scattered back onto their yards by the snowplows, the council members said.—
Maia Pandey,
Journal Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
And with Russia’s Vladimir Putin failing to agree to a full pause in the fighting with Ukraine, signs point to a continuing war and uncertain American support for Ukraine.—
Ella Polak,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2025
-
The only things that would give him pause are if crossing the border becomes more of a hassle or the Canadian dollar were to take a hit.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Choosing a random cabin location Choose your cabin location with careful consideration and a strategic approach.—
Kaitlyn McInnis,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Cherry rues the random nature of these instances of trauma, which explode only to be forgotten five minutes later, subsumed beneath the next crisis.—
Sam Worley,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Carter first saw the disease up close in 1988 while visiting a village in Ghana where nearly 350 people had worms poking through their skin.—
Sam Mednick,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Dec. 2024
-
At its most basic, a poke cake is made by poking holes into a warm cake and pouring on a frosting or filling mixture.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Some Republican lawmakers have expressed hesitance to focus on a DOGE dividend rather than lowering the national deficit or expanding tax cuts, according to Forbes.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacramento Bee,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Soren Toft and Vincent Clerc, the CEOs of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk, respectively, have called out the lack of safety guarantees as the top reason for their hesitance to return.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallying. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share