LOITER Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

loiter

verb

ˈlȯi-tər

Definition of loiter

as in to linger

to move or act slowly don't loiter in this neighborhood after dark

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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

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 loiter At the same time, Iran has reportedly modified another one of its Shahed series of loitering munitions based directly on combat lessons derived from Russia’s war on Ukraine. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 There was late-night noise, people drinking or lingering on the front steps of the residential building, and bar patrons blocking access to the apartment parking entrance and loitering around the nearby DASH bus stop. — Isaac Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 According to Metro officials, the transit has seen a nearly 60% drop in homeless people loitering over the past two years. — Tom Wait, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 The rocket body has been loitering lazily high above Earth for more than 18 months. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for loiter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for loiter

Verb

Christmas decorations linger into summer, and grasses grow high through rusting cars.

— Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
The orchard and cidery serves pizzas and pastas alongside hot or cold cider, and hosts live music as folks linger along the outdoor tables with drinks and games.

— Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of linger

Verb

More than 350 flights were canceled or delayed at Moscow airports, local media reported, as planes were grounded in response to incoming drones.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Green denied that characterization and declined to elaborate on the challenges that delayed the delivery beyond the missing money.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of delay

Verb

In May 2025, after Williams shut off the water in a cell, 10 inmates removed a toilet, crawled through a gap in the wall and scaled a fence out of the jail.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
At the hospital, an insect fell from the girl’s shoe, and a staffer saw a cockroach crawling on her, the district attorney’s office said.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of crawl

Verb

Dozens of locations in the central and southern US will soar to record high temperatures on Tuesday, but the incoming front will drag those highs down by more than 30 degrees in many locales by Friday or Saturday.

— Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
As the comet rotates, fresh ice enters the sunlight and sublimates; the escaping gas then drags entrained dust particles away from the nucleus.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of drag

Verb

Some, including the Idaho Potato Commission, swear that the way a baked potato is opened affects the texture, eschewing a knife for a fork to gently poke a plus sign into the surface.

— Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
From ceviche and poke to pasta and tacos, the menu revolves around the catch of the day, which is sourced from local markets.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of poke

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logy

loiter

loitered

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

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Synonyms of loiter

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