Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Dawdling, slow, or drawn-out: Describes an action, speech, or process that is unnecessarily slow, prolonged, or lacking in urgency. It implies a sluggish, dragging pace.
   • Dilatory or procrastinating: Characterizes a manner of doing things that involves delay or wasting time.

2. Adverb:

   • In a dawdling/drawn-out manner: Used to describe how an action is performed—slowly and with excessive length.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Tiến độ công việc rất rề rà. (The work progress is very dawdling/slow.)
  • Giọng nói rề rà của anh ấy khiến mọi người sốt ruột. (His drawn-out way of speaking makes everyone impatient.)

• Adverb:

  • Anh ấy nói rề rà từng câu một. (He speaks dawdlingly, one sentence at a time.)
  • Đừng làm rề rà, chúng ta sắp muộn giờ rồi. (Don't work so slowly; we're about to be late.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often carries a negative connotation of inefficiency or annoyance due to the lack of speed or decisiveness. It is commonly used to criticize slow performance or speech.

Variants and Related Words

• Rề rề (adj/adv): A variant with similar meaning, emphasizing a slow, dragging, or monotonous pace.
  • Chiếc xe chạy rề rề trên đường. (The car moved slowly/draggingly on the road.)

Synonyms

• Chậm chạp: slow, sluggish.
• Dềnh dàng: dilatory, tardy.
• Kéo dài: to prolong, drawn-out (for processes).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Làm việc rề rà: to work in a dawdling manner.

  • Làm việc rề rà sẽ không bao giờ đúng hạn. (Working in a dawdling manner will never meet the deadline.)

• Nói chuyện rề rà: to speak in a drawn-out way.

  • Cô giáo bảo học sinh đừng nói chuyện rề rà khi phát biểu. (The teacher told the student not to speak in a drawn-out way when giving an answer.)

1. Dawdling, drawling
   • Nói rề rà
     To speak dawdlingly, to drawl