SHILLY-SHALLYING Synonyms: 248 Similar and Opposite Words

shilly-shallying 1 of 3

noun

as in hesitation

a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action fortunately, during the crisis there was no shilly-shallying on the part of the president

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shilly-shallying

2 of 3

adjective

as in ambivalent

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Dissimilar Words

shilly-shallying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of shilly-shally

as in hesitating

to show uncertainty about the right course of action I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in delaying

to move or act slowly with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shallying

Noun

After some hesitation, the co-anchor finally placed his crown on his head.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
The slowdown in investment was put down to government hesitation over changes to Italy’s domestic tax incentive for TV shows and films.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitation

Adjective

But while trust in the Democrats on specific issues has increased, AAPI adults are ambivalent about the party as a whole.

— Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
When film and television try to capture the messy morality of these would-be titans, the results are predictably ambivalent.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambivalent

Verb

With more than seven million people packed into over 9,000 high-rises, efficiency is key here, and people will judge you for holding up lines, hesitating with your Octopus card, or lingering over your dim sum table while others are waiting.

— Lee Cobaj, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
But experts have worried that doctors are hesitating to offer treatment without an ironclad diagnosis, which clinicians say can take time and increase risks to the mother.

— Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of hesitating

Verb

The significance of the phase 3 data extends beyond delaying a recurrence, doctors said.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
According to the county staff report, delaying repairs for a formal bidding process could increase the risk of additional sinkholes, ground collapse and property damage.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of delaying

Noun

Opposition or hesitancy has been less focused on Hasan's death sentence which has broad support among Republicans, but on the decision to broadcast it.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Consider the party’s hesitancy in addressing the financial ramifications of China’s demographic decline.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of hesitancy

Verb

European regulators are putting fierce pressure on Tesla regarding potential road safety issues, while faltering US sales are bringing the economic viability of an international rollout into question.

— Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2026
Analysts noted that the brand was bucking trends among Chinese consumers, where most luxury brands have been faltering this quarter.

— Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of faltering

Verb

Mostly hidden from our daily view, the machinery for making white meat—a chemical and metabolic system of planetary scope—will be a lingering trace of human presence in the annals of Earth history.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
By Saturday morning, lingering snow is likely at high elevations in Yosemite National Park and near Mammoth Mountain.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of lingering

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.

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shilly-shally

shilly-shallying

shimmer

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“Shilly-shallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallying. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of shilly-shallying

noun

adjective

verb

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