loiter

verb

ˈlȯi-tər How to pronounce loiter (audio)
Definition of loiternext
as in to linger
to move or act slowly don't loiter in this neighborhood after dark

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word loiter different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of loiter are dally, dawdle, delay, lag, and procrastinate. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time.

loitered at several store windows
children dawdling on their way home from school

When might dally be a better fit than loiter?

The words dally and loiter can be used in similar contexts, but dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary.

stop dallying and get to work

When is it sensible to use delay instead of loiter?

The meanings of delay and loiter largely overlap; however, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure).

we cannot delay any longer

When can lag be used instead of loiter?

While the synonyms lag and loiter are close in meaning, lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others.

lagging behind in technology

When is procrastinate a more appropriate choice than loiter?

The words procrastinate and loiter are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.

procrastinates about making decisions

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of loiter The Case for Reusable Loitering Munitions While loitering munitions will likely be core assets in future conflicts, Teledyne-FLIR argues these systems should also be recoverable and reusable. —Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 Ironically, the cops pulled up and wondered why this person was loitering outside an apartment. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 2 May 2025 According to the redacted Gang Field Interview Sheet, Prince George’s County Police officers responded to the Home Depot and found four men loitering in the parking lot and detained them for questioning. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025 As a result, Russia has increasingly turned to loitering munitions in its strategic bombing campaigns. —Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for loiter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loiter
  1. linger
  2. delay
  3. crawl
  4. poke
  5. drag
  6. stroll
Verb
  • That’s because there will be periods of heavy rain and a mass of lingering unstable and humid air swirling about South Florida.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
  • The finish is long and sweet, with lingering notes of peat smoke, honey, vanilla, and a hint of oak spice.
    — Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Definition of linger
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Boeing’s project has been hampered by stress corrosion cracks on the planes and excessive noise in the cabins from the decompression system, among other issues that have delayed delivery, according to a Government Accountability Office report released last year.
    — Tara Copp, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
  • Last year, the NFL reported a 20,000% increase in unauthorized drone activity over games between 2017 and 2023, some of which delayed games.
    — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 7 June 2025
Definition of delay
Verb
  • The men allegedly crawled out of the hole to a loading dock, scaled an exterior concrete wall of the jail complex and darted across a freeway to freedom.
    — Kati Weis, CBS News, 29 May 2025
  • The Zenbook crawled to the finish line in every test.
    — PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 29 May 2025
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • That victory put O’Malley back in the rankings. O’Malley’s next bout ended in a no contest, when an eye poke in the second round left Pedro Munhoz unable to continue.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
  • Senior Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev poked fun at the explosive war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, offering to mediate peace between the two political allies.
    — Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Definition of poke
Verb
  • Over the Great Plains, the high-level flow of winds has been pushing the smoke south, and shifting upper-level winds from the west will drag the smoke over the eastern states, according to The Weather Channel.
    — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 June 2025
  • The phone call between Trump and Putin came as the war, which has dragged on for nearly 3.5 years, shows no signs of abating despite mounting pressure for a diplomatic breakthrough.
    — Nik Popli, Time, 4 June 2025
Definition of drag
Verb
  • The elephant strolled in from the nearby national park, Kha Yai, and is a familiar sight in the Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand, the Associated Press reported.
    — Rachel Flynn, People.com, 4 June 2025
  • It’s said that as a young and then unknown designer, Christian Dior, strolled past the Hôtel Plaza Athénée on a breezy afternoon.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 3 June 2025
Definition of stroll

Browse Nearby Words

logy
loiter
loitered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Loiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loiter. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on loiter

Nglish: Translation of loiter for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Some Data About 'Datum'

The Clinical History of 'Moron,' 'Idiot,' and 'Imbecile'
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All