Meanings
verbshillyshally (third-person singular simple present shillyshallies, present participle shillyshallying, simple past and past participle shillyshallied)
present singular third person shillyshallies · participle present shillyshallying · participle past shillyshallied · past shillyshallied
- alternativeAlternative form of shilly-shally
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time
Similar
verbpostpone doing what one should be doing
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
APA
shillyshally. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shillyshally
MLA
“shillyshally.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shillyshally. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shillyshally,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shillyshally.
Source: shillyshally on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.