Definition

1. Verb:

   • To be indecisive or hesitant; to vacillate or waver when making a decision.
   • To waste time through indecision or hesitation.

2. Noun:

   • Indecisive behavior or pointless hesitation; the act of being unable to make up one's mind.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Stop shillyshallying and choose a restaurant.
  • He shillyshallied for weeks before finally accepting the job offer.

• Noun:

  • All this shillyshally is getting us nowhere.
  • Her constant shillyshally over the menu was frustrating.

Advanced Usage

• The word is often used to express mild criticism or impatience with someone's lack of decisiveness.
• It can function as a verb without an object (intransitively) to describe the state of being indecisive.

Variants and Related Words

• Shillyshallying (noun/gerund): The action or an instance of hesitating indecisively.
  • His shillyshallying cost us the opportunity.
• Shillyshallyer (noun, rare): A person who shillyshallies; a vacillator.

Synonyms

• Verb: Dither, vacillate, waver, hesitate, procrastinate.
• Noun: Indecision, hesitation, vacillation, dithering.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To be in a shillyshally: To be in a state of indecision.
  • The committee is still in a shillyshally about the final proposal.

Noun

1. the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or defering an action to a later time

Verb

1. postpone doing what one should be doing
   • He did not want to write the letter and procrastinated for days
2. be uncertain and vague