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shilly-shally

 
Dictionary: shil·ly-shal·ly   (shĭl'ē-shăl'ē) pronunciation
intr.v., -lied (-lēd), -ly·ing, -lies (-lēz).
  1. To procrastinate.
  2. To be unable to come to a decision; vacillate.
  3. To spend time on insignificant things; dawdle.
adj.
Hesitant; vacillating.

n., pl., -lies.
Procrastination; hesitation.

adv.
In a hesitant manner; irresolutely.

[Reduplication of the question shall I?.]

shilly-shallier shil'ly-shal'li·er n.

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or shillyshally

(SHIL-ee-shal-ee) pronunciation

verb intr.
To vacillate; to dawdle.

adverb
Hesitantly; irresolutely.

adjective
Hesitant; vacillating.

noun
Hesitation; vacillation.

Etymology
From reduplication of the question Shall I?]

Usage
"We go after bigger things, and don't stand shilly-shally on the brink as you do." — Anthony Trollope; The Way We Live Now; 1875.


Thesaurus: shilly-shally
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Translations: Shilly-shally
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Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - vakle, være til hvilken side hver anden gang
n. - person der er ubeslutsom, ubeslutsomhed
adj. - vaklende, ubeslutsom
adv. - på ubeslutsom vis

Nederlands (Dutch)
aarzelen, aarzelend, besluiteloosheid

Français (French)
v. intr. - tergiverser
n. - tergiversation
adj. - hésitant
adv. - avec hésitation

Deutsch (German)
v. - zaudern
adj. - zögernd
n. - Zauderer
adv. - zögernd

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - διστάζω, αμφιταλαντεύομαι
adj. - αμφιταλαντευόμενος, αναποφάσιστος
n. - αναποφασιστικότητα, αμφιταλάντευση, χασομέρι
adv. - με αναποφασιστικότητα

Italiano (Italian)
tentennare, incerto, incertezza, nell'incertezza

Português (Portuguese)
v. - titubear, tontear
adj. - titubeante, irresoluto
n. - irresolução (f)
adv. - titubeantemente

Русский (Russian)
нерешительность, нерешительный, нерешительно, проявлять нерешительность

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - vacilar, titubear, estar indeciso, ocuparse en naderías
n. - titubeo, vacilación, irresolución, persona irresoluta
adj. - titubeante, vacilante, indeciso
adv. - con titubeos, con vacilaciones

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - vela hit och dit, vackla, tveka
adj. - velande, vacklande, tvekande
n. - velande vacklande
adv. - velande, vacklande, tvekande

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
犹豫不决, 游手好闲, 优柔寡断, 犹豫不决的, 优柔寡断的, 犹豫不决地

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 猶豫不決, 遊手好閒
n. - 優柔寡斷, 猶豫不決
adj. - 猶豫不決的, 優柔寡斷的
adv. - 猶豫不決地

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 주저하다, 망설이다
n. - 주저, 우유부단
adj. - 결단을 못 내리는, 망설이는, 우유부단한
adv. - 망설이며

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ぐずぐずすること, 優柔不断
adj. - 優柔不断の
adv. - ぐずぐずして
v. - ぐずぐずする

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يتردد, يضيع ألوقت سدى (صفه) متردد (الاسم) تردد (ظرف) بتردد‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮היסס, לא החליט‬
n. - ‮חוסר-החלטה, פסיחה על הסעפים‬
adj. - ‮מהסס‬
adv. - ‮בהססנות, בחוסר החלטיות‬


 
 
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wordsmith Words. © 2009 Wordsmith.org. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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