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

Example 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
  • This kind of training helps eliminate hesitation in critical moments.
    — Oleg Fonarov, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Use Your Mouth Nothing kills intensity like hesitation.
    — Dominique Fluker, Essence, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of hesitation
Adjective
  • Toddlers are often ambivalent about growing up and leaving their babyhood behind, and for this reason, change can be hard for them, says Dr. Widome.
    — Laura Broadwell, Parents, 18 Mar. 2025
  • This time the response to Fetterman’s pilgrimage, which caught most senior Democrats by surprise, was more ambivalent.
    — Philip Elliott, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025
Definition of ambivalent
Noun
  • That's an encouraging step, but consistency on the importance of vaccination is needed to overcome current levels of public hesitancy.
    — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The team’s hesitancy stemmed, in part, from its existing collection of nine-figure contracts.
    — Dennis Lin, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Definition of hesitancy
Verb
  • Sunday will remain mild with highs near 52 and lingering rain chances.
    — Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press, 24 Dec. 2024
  • In the days since, many people have reported unsafe road conditions and lingering snow — along with uncollected leaf piles from fall leaf collection that were scattered back onto their yards by the snowplows, the council members said.
    — Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of lingering
Noun
  • Since then, The Bachelorette has had 21 seasons and 23 leads (Seasons 16 and 19 had two Bachelorettes) until February 2025 when news broke that ABC had put the series on pause.
    — Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 17 Mar. 2025
  • According to fans at the show, an announcer told the crowd that the unplanned pause was due to an electrical fire and said Journey would continue the show, ABC 13 Houston reported.
    — Bailey Richards, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of pause
Adjective
  • Cherry rues the random nature of these instances of trauma, which explode only to be forgotten five minutes later, subsumed beneath the next crisis.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Choosing a random cabin location Choose your cabin location with careful consideration and a strategic approach.
    — Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of random
Verb
  • Carter first saw the disease up close in 1988 while visiting a village in Ghana where nearly 350 people had worms poking through their skin.
    — Sam Mednick, Chicago Tribune, 30 Dec. 2024
  • At its most basic, a poke cake is made by poking holes into a warm cake and pouring on a frosting or filling mixture.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024
Definition of poking
Noun
  • Some Republican lawmakers have expressed hesitance to focus on a DOGE dividend rather than lowering the national deficit or expanding tax cuts, according to Forbes.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Soren Toft and Vincent Clerc, the CEOs of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk, respectively, have called out the lack of safety guarantees as the top reason for their hesitance to return.
    — Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 10 Mar. 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

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 31 Mar. 2025.

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