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Tarry vs Dawdle - What's the difference?

tarry | dawdle |

In lang=en terms the difference between tarry and dawdle

is that tarry is to wait for; to stay or stop for; to allow to linger while dawdle is to move or walk lackadaisically.

As verbs the difference between tarry and dawdle

is that tarry is to delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything while dawdle is to spend time idly and unfruitfully, to waste time.

As nouns the difference between tarry and dawdle

is that tarry is a sojourn while dawdle is a dawdler.

As an adjective tarry

is resembling tar.

tarry

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (Scotland)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) tarien, .

Verb

(en-verb)
  • To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything.
    • It is true that the Messiah will come, though he may tarry . ( Hitchens quoting translated Maimonides)
  • To linger in expectation of something or until something is done or happens.
  • To abide, stay or wait somewhere, especially if longer than planned.
  • To stay somewhere temporarily; to sojourn.
  • To wait for; to stay or stop for; to allow to linger.
  • * Shakespeare
    • He that will have a cake out of the wheat must needs tarry the grinding.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • He plodded on, tarrying no further question.
    Synonyms
    * (stay or wait, especially longer than planned ): hang about, hang around, linger, loiter * (stay somewhere temporarily ): sojourn, stay, stay over, stop, stop over

    Noun

    (tarries)
  • A sojourn.
    • Synonyms
    * (sojourn ): stay, stop, stop-over

    Etymology 2

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Resembling tar.
  • Covered with tar.
    • Synonyms
    * (resembling tar) pitchy * (covered with tar) bituminized (treated with tar ), pitchy

    References

    * * English heteronyms

    dawdle

    English

    Verb

    (dawdl)
  • To spend time idly and unfruitfully, to waste time.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 29 , author=Neil Johnston , title=Norwich 3 - 3 Blackburn , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=However all Hennessey's good work went to waste on 52 minutes when he dawdled on the ball.}}
  • * Johnson
    • Come some evening and dawdle over a dish of tea with me.
  • To spend (time) without haste or purpose.
    • to dawdle away the whole morning
  • To move or walk lackadaisically.
    • If you dawdle on your daily walk, you won't get as much exercise.
  • * Thackeray
    • We dawdle up and down Pall Mall.

    See also

    * dally, dander, dandle, diddle, loaf, piddle, wander, doodle

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A dawdler.

    • Anagrams

    * English intransitive verbs