verb

dally

DAL-ee/ˈdæli/

To spend time idly or without serious commitment.

The man dallies with a paper football while his unfinished packing keeps his companion waiting.

An older man dallies over a tiny paper football while packing remains conspicuously unfinished; his ready-to-leave companion waits at the open doorway, checking his watch.

Etymology

Middle English dalien referred to serious or intimate conversation; later senses shifted toward wasting time and lingering. Its possible connection with Anglo-French dalier, “to amuse oneself,” remains uncertain.

In context

JoCat20:36

the longer we wait the stronger the spine becomes and the black vein queen would you rather dilly dally and wait for another attack to happen

Let the Hunt Begin - Belkinus Necro Hunt D&D Session 1

More examples

Don't dally in the hallway; class starts in a minute.
She dallies with the idea of moving but never makes plans.
They dallied at the cafe instead of finishing their errands.

Forms

dally · dallies · dallied · dallying

Similar words

linger: Emphasizes staying longer than expected, not necessarily wasting time.
loiter: Suggests hanging around a place without an obvious purpose.
dawdle: Emphasizes moving or working slowly when progress is expected.