SHILLY-SHALLY Synonyms: 253 Similar and Opposite Words

shilly-shally 1 of 3

verb

Definition of shilly-shally

as in to hesitate

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to delay

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

shilly-shally

2 of 3

a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action the construction project was once again delayed by the bureaucratic shilly-shally of regulatory agencies

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shilly-shally

3 of 3

adjective

as in shilly-shallying

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shally

Verb

With more than seven million people packed into over 9,000 high-rises, efficiency is key here, and people will judge you for holding up lines, hesitating with your Octopus card, or lingering over your dim sum table while others are waiting.

— Lee Cobaj, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
So as facts and circumstances change, taxpayers should not hesitate to notify the IRS to avoid defaults and payment failures.

— Charles T. Almond III, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitate

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

Noun

But the earnestness of their performances, the texture of their hesitation, makes the video far more compelling than any of its deepfake counterparts.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Decker said people who are homeless can feel hesitation to come into shelter, but Open Doors has built a rapport in the neighborhood and would want to stay.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitation

Adjective

But while trust in the Democrats on specific issues has increased, AAPI adults are ambivalent about the party as a whole.

— Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
When film and television try to capture the messy morality of these would-be titans, the results are predictably ambivalent.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambivalent

Verb

This week a deal for Volta Infrastructure faltered as investors feeling full-up on data center debt demanded higher yields.

— Ellen DiMauro, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Even where efforts to build democratic institutions have faltered, as after the Arab Spring, liberal ideas have nonetheless persisted and expanded.

— Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of falter

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

Noun

Opposition or hesitancy has been less focused on Hasan's death sentence which has broad support among Republicans, but on the decision to broadcast it.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Consider the party’s hesitancy in addressing the financial ramifications of China’s demographic decline.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitancy

Adjective

Belting out random songs while delivering high-level physical comedy and acting takes skill.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Furthermore, the whiskers are in front, preventing the drone from detecting sideways obstacles like random jagged branches in a forest.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of random

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.

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

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Synonyms of shilly-shally

verb

noun

adjective

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