TARRY Synonyms: 189 Similar and Opposite Words

tarry 1 of 3

noun

Definition of tarry

as in visit

a temporary residing as another's guest a fable about the tarry of two Americans in a Scottish village that every century magically comes into existence for a day

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tarry

2 of 3

verb

ˈter-ē

as in to wait

to continue to be in a place for a significant amount of time upon seeing the sun beginning to sink in the sky, we realized we had tarried too long on the summit of the mountain

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to linger

to move or act slowly the dean tarried in making his decision, still not sure if he should suspend the student or not

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to stay

to reside as a temporary guest he tarried with us all summer, sleeping on the screened-in porch most nights

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tarry

3 of 3

adjective

as in viscous

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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 tarry

Verb

America grew up with these boys and tarried with them through light and dark times. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 June 2025 To avoid suspicion, the young men decided to tarry for a couple of days rather than cross into the neighboring socialist republic right away. — Longreads, 6 July 2022

Adjective

Often, Petite Sirah produces a wine that is too tarry, too dense, too chewy. — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, 1 Sep. 2020 Ingestion of sago palm leaves, seeds or other plant parts causes liver failure, usually signaled by drooling, vomiting, diarrhea or a tarry black stool, depression, appetite loss, abdominal pain, lethargy and jaundice. — Kim Campbell Thornton, sacbee, 14 Mar. 2018 See All Example Sentences for tarry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarry

Noun

Luigi Carbone, Pope Leo XIV's physician, said the pontiff's recovery from lung cancer surgery won't stop plans for a visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru involving a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high altitudes.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
The incumbent senator acknowledged in a recent interview that the president’s visits to Kansas were vital to his reelection campaign.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of visit

Verb

The league has agreed to an extended All-Star break to accommodate the Olympics, but MLB also could tire of waiting for the union to agree with LA28, which badly wants MLB players to participate.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Ukraine is waiting for information and clarification from the US side about the situation and there is no response yet, the source said.

— Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of wait

Verb

Coming out of Saturday's showdown in Austin, those questions are going to linger over the next five to six weeks.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Moton lingered on the turf for a while, punching the turf in pain and dread, before a cart came out to transport him to the locker room.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of linger

Verb

But scientific progress rarely stays within neat national boxes for long, even when governments would prefer it to.

— Ruby Wang, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
His teachers attributed the problem to his inability to stay focused while using an iPad throughout the day, Byock said.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of stay

Adjective

The interior was made of multiple layers of translucent, colored silicone to create a viscous look.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026
Jay just gets bumped from one squishy chamber of viscous lumps to another, fighting like hell to avoid following his squid adversary through a puckering hole and deeper into the digestive system, where the air turns into methane.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of viscous

Verb

Such calculations are part of a wider effort to understand why molecular simulations remain challenging.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
LaGrone was directed not to possess weapons, alcohol or drugs and remain under the care of a person whose initials are noted in a document.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of remain

Verb

The tests could easily do the opposite, as people with results suggesting cancer require follow-up testing that overwhelms our healthcare system, potentially delaying diagnoses for people with cancer.

— Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
The game was one of many across the Southland delayed or postponed by lightning, particularly in Orange County.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of delay

Adjective

Pill Terminator test The Pill Terminator is a one-time use bottle filled with a powder that turns into a gelatinous substance once medications and water are added.

— Sunny Linnebur, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
Sunfish have a gelatinous layer under their skin that could be a source of water and nutrients for the orcas, Higuera says.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 23 July 2026

Definition of gelatinous

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tarring

tarry

tarry (in)

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Style

“Tarry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarry. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tarry

noun

verb

adjective

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