We’ve all been there, scrolling through social media or staring blankly at the screen, finding any excuse to avoid the task at hand. But have you ever stopped to think about the various ways we describe this common behavior? Join us as we uncover the top slang terms for procrastination, guaranteed to make you nod in recognition and maybe even chuckle at how accurately they capture our procrastinating tendencies. Let’s dive in and embrace the art of delaying the inevitable!
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1. Stall
To stall is to intentionally delay or prolong an action or process. It is often used when someone is avoiding or putting off doing something.
- For example, “I need to finish my report, but I keep stalling by checking social media.”
- In a group project, someone might say, “Don’t stall, we need to start working on this assignment.”
- A friend might ask, “Why do you always stall before making a decision?”
2. Drag one’s feet
To drag one’s feet means to procrastinate or delay taking action. It implies a lack of motivation or reluctance to move forward with a task.
- For instance, “I’ve been dragging my feet on cleaning my room for weeks.”
- A coworker might say, “Stop dragging your feet and submit your part of the project.”
- A parent might tell their child, “Don’t drag your feet, finish your homework before dinner.”
3. Dilly-dally
Dilly-dally means to waste time or procrastinate. It suggests indecision or a lack of focus on the task at hand.
- For example, “Stop dilly-dallying and start working on your presentation.”
- A teacher might say, “No more dilly-dallying, it’s time to get to work.”
- A friend might jokingly say, “You’re the queen of dilly-dallying, always finding ways to avoid doing what you should be doing.”
4. Shilly-shally
To shilly-shally is to hesitate or be indecisive. It implies a reluctance to commit or make a firm decision.
- For instance, “Stop shilly-shallying and choose a restaurant for dinner.”
- A coach might say, “There’s no time to shilly-shally, make a play and commit to it.”
- A parent might tell their child, “Quit shilly-shallying and pick out your clothes for school.”
5. Lollygag
Lollygagging refers to spending time aimlessly or delaying progress. It suggests a lack of urgency or purpose in one’s actions.
- For example, “I need to stop lollygagging and start working on my essay.”
- A supervisor might say, “No more lollygagging, we have a deadline to meet.”
- A friend might tease, “You’re always lollygagging, never getting anything done on time.”
6. Put off
To put off means to delay or postpone something that needs to be done. It is often used when someone is avoiding or procrastinating a task.
- For example, “I’ll put off doing my homework until tomorrow.”
- A person might say, “I always put off cleaning my room until the last minute.”
- In a work setting, someone might say, “Let’s put off the meeting until next week.”
7. Tarry
To tarry means to linger or delay in taking action or leaving a place. It is often used to describe someone who is wasting time or procrastinating.
- For instance, “Don’t tarry too long or you’ll miss the bus.”
- A person might say, “I tend to tarry when it comes to making important decisions.”
- In a work context, someone might advise, “Don’t tarry on this project, we have a deadline to meet.”
8. Loiter
To loiter means to hang around in a public place without any specific purpose. It is often used to describe someone who is wasting time or procrastinating instead of being productive.
- For example, “The security guard told the teenagers to stop loitering outside the store.”
- A person might say, “I tend to loiter in coffee shops when I should be working.”
- In a school setting, a teacher might say, “Students should not loiter in the hallways during class time.”
9. Dawdle
To dawdle means to waste time or linger over something. It is often used to describe someone who is procrastinating or taking longer than necessary to complete a task.
- For instance, “Stop dawdling and finish your chores.”
- A person might say, “I always dawdle when it comes to getting ready in the morning.”
- In a work context, someone might say, “We can’t afford to have employees dawdle on the job.”
10. Putter
To putter means to engage in aimless or unproductive activity. It is often used to describe someone who is wasting time or procrastinating instead of focusing on important tasks.
- For example, “I spent the afternoon puttering around the house instead of working.”
- A person might say, “I tend to putter in the garden when I should be doing something more productive.”
- In a work setting, someone might say, “Stop puttering and start working on the project.”
11. Linger
To linger means to delay or stay in a place longer than necessary. It often implies a sense of reluctance or hesitation to move on or take action.
- For example, “I need to stop lingering and start working on my project.”
- Someone might say, “I tend to linger at the coffee shop instead of going to class.”
- Another person might complain, “My coworker always lingers after meetings, causing them to run longer than they should.”
12. Piddle around
To piddle around means to waste time or dawdle. It suggests engaging in unproductive or trivial activities instead of focusing on important tasks.
- For instance, “I need to stop piddling around and start studying for my exam.”
- Someone might say, “I always end up piddling around on my phone instead of doing chores.”
- Another person might admit, “I tend to piddle around when I don’t feel motivated to work.”
13. Slack off
To slack off means to avoid work or be lazy. It implies a lack of effort or productivity, often resulting in delays or subpar results.
- For example, “I can’t afford to slack off if I want to meet the deadline.”
- Someone might say, “I tend to slack off when I’m not interested in a task.”
- Another person might complain, “My coworker is always slacking off and leaving me to pick up the slack.”
14. Idle
To idle means to waste time or be inactive. It suggests a lack of purpose or productivity, often resulting in delays or missed opportunities.
- For instance, “I need to stop idling and start working on my goals.”
- Someone might say, “I always end up idling on social media instead of doing something productive.”
- Another person might admit, “I tend to idle when I feel overwhelmed or unsure of what to do.”
15. Laze around
To laze around means to spend time in a relaxed or lazy manner. It implies a lack of motivation or drive to engage in productive activities.
- For example, “I spent the whole weekend lazing around instead of tackling my to-do list.”
- Someone might say, “I enjoy lazing around on my days off, just relaxing and doing nothing.”
- Another person might complain, “My roommate is always lazing around instead of helping with household chores.”
16. Putter around
This phrase refers to engaging in casual or unproductive activities without a clear purpose or goal. It implies wasting time or avoiding more important tasks.
- For example, “I spent the whole afternoon puttering around the house instead of working on my project.”
- Someone might say, “I tend to putter around the garden when I don’t feel like doing anything productive.”
- A person might admit, “I often find myself puttering around on social media instead of getting work done.”
17. Shirk
This word means to avoid or neglect a responsibility or duty, especially by finding excuses or taking shortcuts. It implies evading work or obligations.
- For instance, “He always shirks his share of the household chores.”
- A student might say, “I tend to shirk my schoolwork until the last minute.”
- Someone might confess, “I’m guilty of shirking my work when I’m not in the mood.”
18. Laze
This term refers to spending time in a relaxed or idle manner, typically without any productive activity. It suggests being lazy or avoiding work.
- For example, “I just want to laze around and watch TV all day.”
- A person might say, “I love to laze by the pool and soak up the sun.”
- Someone might admit, “I tend to laze around when I have a lot of tasks to do.”
19. Doodle
This word means to make casual or absentminded drawings or scribbles, usually while doing something else or to pass the time. It implies engaging in a creative but unproductive activity.
- For instance, “I like to doodle in the margins of my notebook during meetings.”
- A person might say, “I often doodle while on the phone to keep my hands busy.”
- Someone might admit, “I doodle when I’m trying to procrastinate and avoid doing work.”
20. Fritter away
This phrase means to waste time or money on unimportant or trivial things, often without realizing it. It suggests squandering resources or opportunities.
- For example, “I frittered away the whole weekend playing video games instead of studying.”
- A person might say, “I tend to fritter away my paycheck on unnecessary purchases.”
- Someone might confess, “I often find myself frittering away hours on social media instead of being productive.”