dilatory

adjective

ˈdi-lə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce dilatory (audio)
Definition of dilatorynext
as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed the homeowner is claiming that local firefighters were dilatory in responding to the call

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 dilatory And some parents-to-be, either superstitious or simply dilatory, hesitate to purchase baby items far in advance. — New York Times, 29 Dec. 2021 What makes this dilatory pace unfathomable is that Democrats know the disastrous implications of the loss of a single Senate seat in the midst of a legislative battle. — Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 27 Oct. 2021 Near the end of the meeting on Tuesday, Allard stopped testimony by raising a point of information and asking a series of procedural questions, a move LaFrance said was dilatory. — Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Oct. 2021 So Davies gets it right that government decisions, and industry’s dilatory response, have driven the development of EV technology. — IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2016 See All Example Sentences for dilatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilatory
  1. leisurely
  2. slow
Adjective
  • Jalsa has excellent food, leisurely service, and a robot waiter of unclear utility.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The exterior is well equipped for leisurely days—including a shaded hammock, large deck, and a fire pit with Adirondack chairs beneath a string of bistro lights.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of leisurely
Adjective
  • On winding roads, its model-specific suspension tuning and focus on weight reduction translate into exceptional body control at speed without becoming brittle or overly rigid in slower, more technical sections.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In particular, he was asked about Netflix’s slower growth (2% year-over-year growth in user engagement during the first half in 2026).
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of slow

Browse Nearby Words

dilatoriness
dilatory
dilemma
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Dilatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilatory. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All