DALLIED Synonyms: 199 Similar and Opposite Words

dallied

verb

past tense of dally

as in played

to engage in activity for amusement he spent his college years dallying, seemingly determined to acquire as little knowledge as possible

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in lingered

to move or act slowly don't dally on the way to the interview

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as in flirted

to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun she spent the summer dallying with a guy renting the neighboring beach house

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as in dawdled

to spend time doing nothing I kept dallying at my desk until I couldn't put off doing my work any longer

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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 dallied Furthermore, Real Madrid has also dallied over potentially buying Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 The full-backs, meanwhile, took their time from throw-ins, ensuring team-mates behind the ball were secure and Emiliano Martinez, who produced a second spellbinding save in as many visits to Nottingham, dallied from goal kicks. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 1 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dallied

Verb

With Rose unavailable, sophomore quarterback Gabriel Webster played in district games against Azle, Denton and Sherman.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
Armstrong led the Chiefs in receiving yards in the preseason, so he’s played against NFL competition.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of played

Verb

Drummond flirted with a preseason triple-double and posted eight points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in 20 minutes.

— Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026
Over the past year, Anthropic has repeatedly flirted with the idea that its AI models could be conscious in some way.

— Hayden Field, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of flirted

Verb

But, lucky for anyone who dawdled, many of the deals are still active.

— Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 June 2026
Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.

— Thomas Black, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2025

Definition of dawdled

Verb

The pair even toyed around with the idea of a potential collaboration.

— Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
Four years later — after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves.

— Pat Graham, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026

Definition of toyed

Verb

But technical and regulatory hurdles repeatedly delayed certification of the largest version of Boeing's bestselling 737 family.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Results were delayed after late openings forced more than 100 polling stations to extend voting hours Monday.

— CBS News, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of delayed

Verb

In one mirror selfie, Hurley lounged on a bed with her bare legs on display, holding up her phone as the oversized ring sparkled on her finger.

— Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
During virtual meetings, Brower and Simone, who are in their mid-30s, appeared on screen while Primrose lounged on their shoulders or heads.

— KYLE MELNICK THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of lounged

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“Dallied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dallied. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of dallied

verb

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