lollygag

lollygag
verb
lol·;ly·;gag ;l;-l;-;gag
variants or less commonly lallygag
lollygagged also lallygagged; lollygagging also lallygagging; lollygags also lallygags
Synonyms of lollygag
intransitive verb

informal
: to fool around and waste time : dawdle
Stop lollygagging and get to work.
We were slow because the girl was lollygagging, the photographer was photographing, and I was on crutches.
—James Robison
The first author he'd chosen was lollygagging on his manuscript, so it was my chance.
—Neal Pollack
… rally the team of lallygagging lawmakers …
—The Hightower Lowdown


Did you know?
Since the 19th century, lollygag (sometimes also spelled lallygag) has been used as a slang word to describe acts of wasting time as well as displays of affection. Nowadays, lollygag doesn't usually refer to flirting or cuddling, but back in 1946, one Navy captain considered lollygagging enough of a problem to issue this stern warning: "Lovemaking and lollygagging are hereby strictly forbidden.... The holding of hands, osculation and constant embracing of WAVES [Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service], corpsmen or civilians and sailors or any combination of male and female personnel is a violation of naval discipline...."

Synonyms
crawl
creep
dally
dawdle
delay
diddle
dillydally
drag
lag
linger
loiter
mope
poke
shilly-shally
tarry
Examples of lollygag in a Sentence
He was kicked off the team for lollygagging during practice.
Stop lollygagging around and get to work!
Recent Examples on the Web
For perspective, the Tesla S Plaid, the current poster child for electric vehicle acceleration, lollygags its way to 60 in 1.98 seconds, according to Motor Trend magazine tests.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lollygag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.


Word History
Etymology
origin unknown

First Known Use
1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lollygag was in 1862
See more words from the same year
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