View synonyms for

loiter

[loi-ter]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used without object)

to linger aimlessly or as if aimless in or about a place.
to loiter around the bus terminal.
Synonyms:
to move in a slow, idle manner, making purposeless stops in the course of a trip, journey, errand, etc..
to loiter on the way to work.
Synonyms: , ,
to waste time or dawdle over work.
He loiters over his homework until one in the morning.
Synonyms: , ,

verb (used with object)

to pass (time) in an idle or aimless manner (usually followed byaway ).
to loiter away the afternoon in daydreaming.
Synonyms:

loiter

/ ˈ��ɔɪ��ə /

verb

(intr) to stand or act aimlessly or idly

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Other Word Forms

loiterer noun
ˈ��Ǿ��ٱ��Բ� noun
ˈ��Ǿ��ٱ�� noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of loiter¹

First recorded before 1300–50; Middle English loteren, loytren, perhaps from Middle Dutch loteren “to stagger, totter”; compare Dutch leuteren “to dawdle”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of loiter¹

C14: perhaps from Middle Dutch ��ö�ٱ�� to wobble: perhaps related to Old English ��ū�پ�� to lurk

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Synonym Study

Loiter, dally, dawdle, idle imply moving or acting slowly, stopping for unimportant reasons, and in general wasting time. To loiter is to linger aimlessly: to loiter outside a building. To dally is to loiter indecisively or to delay as if free from care or responsibility: to dally on the way home. To dawdle is to saunter, stopping often, and taking a great deal of time, or to fritter away time working in a halfhearted way: to dawdle over a task. To idle is to move slowly and aimlessly, or to spend a great deal of time doing nothing: to idle away the hours.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Arias was so frustrated by the loitering delivery drivers that he chopped off the branches that shaded the drivers.

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The situation marks the latest attempt by property owners to keep homeless individuals from loitering or sleeping in commercial zones, an issue they say threatens business.

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The Indian jets used an array of missiles, loitering munitions and drones despite the Pakistanis operating the Chinese-provided HQ 9 air defence system.

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The RSF had previously used what are known as suicide or loitering drones, small UAVs with explosive payloads that are designed to crash into targets and can carry out coordinated attacks.

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Drones can be used as decoys or suppression of enemy air defences, flying into contested airspace to trigger enemy radar emissions, which can then be targeted by other munitions like loitering drones or anti-radiation missiles.

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Related Words

amble��
dawdle��
linger��
loll��
lounge��
ramble��
saunter��
traipse��

Lois loitering

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