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dally

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
dal·ly  (dl)
v. dal·lied, dal·ly·ing, dal·lies
v.intr.
1. To play amorously; flirt: "Sylvester dallied about Lena until he began to make mistakes in his work" Willa Cather. See Synonyms at flirt.
2. To trifle; toy.
3. To waste time; dawdle.
v.tr.
To waste (time).

[Middle English dalien, from Old French dalier.]

dalli·er n.
dally·ing·ly adv.

dally
Verb
[-lies, -lying, -lied]
1. Old-fashioned to waste time or dawdle
2. dally with to deal frivolously with: to dally with someone's affections [Anglo-French dalier to gossip]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb1.dallydally - behave carelessly or indifferently; "Play about with a young girl's affection"
trifle, dally, play - consider not very seriously; "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania"
act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel"
2.dally - waste time; "Get busy--don't dally!"
behave, act, do - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"
3.dally - talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions; "The guys always try to chat up the new secretaries"; "My husband never flirts with other women"
talk, speak - exchange thoughts; talk with; "We often talk business"; "Actions talk louder than words"
wanton - engage in amorous play
vamp - act seductively with (someone)
4.dallydally - consider not very seriously; "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania"
look at, deal, consider, take - take into consideration for exemplifying purposes; "Take the case of China"; "Consider the following case"
dally, toy, flirt, play - behave carelessly or indifferently; "Play about with a young girl's affection"

dally
verb waste time, delay, fool (about or around), linger, hang about, loiter, while away, dawdle, fritter away, procrastinate, tarry, dilly-dally (informal) drag your feet or heels << OPPOSITE hurry (up)
dally with someone flirt with, tease, lead on, toy with, play around with, fool (about or around) with, trifle with, play fast and loose with (informal) frivol with (informal)
Translations
Spanish dally [ˈdælɪ] vientretenerse
French dally [ˈdælɪ] vimusarder, flâner
German dally [ˈdælɪ] vi(herum)trödeln;
to dally with (plan, idea) → spielen mit

Italian dally [ˈdælɪ] vitrastullarsi

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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Those were the sort of visitors with whom his ebon Majesty loved to dally until they became pale with fright or furious with anger and impatience; but men like this white captain, who had brought him no presents, who came in overwhelming force and demanded a passage through his country as a matter of right were his special detestation.
But while I secretly exulted in my power, I felt disposed to dally with my victim like a cat.
" "Yes," cries Western, "but if I had suffered her to stand shill I shall I, dilly dally, you might not have had that honour yet a while; I was forced to use a little fatherly authority to bring her to.
 
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