shilly-shallying 1 of 3

noun

Definition of shilly-shallyingnext
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action fortunately, during the crisis there was no shilly-shallying on the part of the president

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shilly-shallying

2 of 3

adjective

as in ambivalent

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shilly-shallying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of shilly-shally
1
as in hesitating
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

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2
as in delaying
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shallying
  1. hesitation
  2. ambivalent
  3. hesitancy
  4. lingering
  5. pause
  6. random
  7. poking
  8. hesitance
Noun
  • While the women are coming in oozing with persona and charisma, there is still a sense of hesitation in trying to mark their territory.
    Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2024
  • In new partnerships, there’s often a sense of hesitation as both sides gauge each other’s commitment.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of hesitation
Adjective
  • Kate is ambivalent about striving after a level of power, which is possibly the most preposterous detail in a series that isn't overly concerned with authenticity.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
  • For any society, regarding any proposition, the population will spread out on a spectrum: 20 percent will strongly disagree, 70 percent will be more ambivalent, and 10 percent will be in total agreement.
    Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
Definition of ambivalent
Noun
  • With that, the hesitancy to stand too close to Stan doesn’t seem to extend to his place the blockbuster realm of Disney’s MCU — at least not yet.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Just five years ago, the company's CFO was open about its hesitancy in getting involved in the crypto space.
    Lisa Loud, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of hesitancy
Verb
  • He's been lingering in the pilot house ever since.
    Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 21 Oct. 2024
  • Some of her reserve is, no doubt, a lingering effect of her confirmation process.
    Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
Definition of lingering
Noun
  • But the return of Terry Silver and that horrible Sekai Taikai tragedy seemed to put any hope for romance on pause, at least for now.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 19 Nov. 2024
  • For months now, 8 million borrowers enrolled in SAVE have been on pause, not being asked to make payments while the courts slowly decide whether the repayment plan is legal.
    Jonaki Mehta, NPR, 19 Nov. 2024
Definition of pause
Adjective
  • Your private key is the secret random number that generates your public key, and therefore your Bitcoin address.
    Korok Ray, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
  • The judge in the case reduced that sentence to eight years in prison and a $15,100 fine — with three of those eight years to be served in home detention — with Kennedy also ordered to serve five years of probation and undergo random drug testing and mental health counseling.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Nov. 2024
Definition of random
Verb
  • For all of what Russell is and has been, Monday was possibly his most self-aware, poking fun at his frequent stints on the trade block, owning his supreme confidence on the offensive end and his struggles on the other side of the court.
    Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
  • Spirit Halloween is hitting back at Saturday Night Live, who aired a sketch poking fun at the costume store.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2024
Definition of poking
Noun
  • His bouts with his command bring some hesitance to fully trust him, but he’s shown signs of positive development.
    Sahadev Sharma, The Athletic, 9 July 2024
  • In its hesitance to allow women to express negative emotion, House of the Dragon leaves them feeling curiously detached.
    Nate Jones, Vulture, 4 July 2024
Definition of hesitance
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near shilly-shallying

shilly-shally

shilly-shallying

shimmer

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Cite this Entry

“Shilly-shallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallying. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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