To dawdle means to waste time by moving slowly or taking longer than necessary to do something. When you dawdle on your way to school, you might stop to examine every interesting rock, chase a butterfly, or stare at clouds instead of walking with purpose. When a student dawdles over their homework, they might sharpen pencils three times, organize their desk, or gaze out the window instead of actually working.

Dawdling isn't the same as moving slowly because you're tired or carefully doing quality work. A dawdler knows they should be moving or working but chooses to putter around instead. Your parent might say “Stop dawdling!” when you're getting ready for bed, but you somehow find yourself building a tower of stuffed animals instead of brushing your teeth.

The word suggests a kind of aimless, dreamy quality. Someone who dawdles isn't necessarily lazy; they're just easily distracted or in no particular hurry. While dawdling can be frustrating when you're trying to get somewhere on time, sometimes a little dawdling on a summer afternoon, watching ants carry crumbs or following a beetle's journey across the sidewalk, is exactly what makes childhood memorable.