SHILLYSHALLY (shillyshallied)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: shillyshallied   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does shillyshally mean? 

• SHILLYSHALLY (noun)
  The noun SHILLYSHALLY has 1 sense:

1. the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time

  Familiarity information: SHILLYSHALLY used as a noun is very rare.

• SHILLYSHALLY (verb)
  The verb SHILLYSHALLY has 2 senses:

1. be uncertain and vague

2. postpone doing what one should be doing

  Familiarity information: SHILLYSHALLY used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SHILLYSHALLY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

cunctation; procrastination; shillyshally

Hypernyms ("shillyshally" is a kind of...):

delay; holdup (the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time)

Derivation:

shillyshally (postpone doing what one should be doing)

• SHILLYSHALLY (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be uncertain and vague

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "shillyshally" is one way to...):

hover; oscillate; vacillate; vibrate (be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 2

Meaning:

Postpone doing what one should be doing

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

dilly-dally; dillydally; drag one's feet; drag one's heels; procrastinate; shillyshally; stall

Context example:

He did not want to write the letter and procrastinated for days

Hypernyms (to "shillyshally" is one way to...):

delay (act later than planned, scheduled, or required)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "shillyshally"):

procrastinate (postpone or delay needlessly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

shillyshally (the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time)