Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

loiter

[loi-ter] / ˈlɔɪ tər /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

At a time when the most exciting films were 10 seconds of a train, bored teenagers probably would go berserk at the chance to loiter near an obelisk.

From Slate Jun. 24, 2026

They used an Iranian-provided surface-to-air missile that can loiter in the sky before homing in on heat from the drones.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 16, 2026

During this phase, the spacecraft will follow a large "loiter" orbit that stretches roughly 2 million miles from Earth.

From Science Daily Mar. 14, 2026

It’s paired with increasingly frequent cleaning, more transit officers and a sweeping of the cars, so passengers don’t loiter or pass out on the seats.

From Los Angeles Times May 30, 2024

They went more slowly than Ralph had bargained for; yet in a way he was glad to loiter, cradling his spear.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

Alexis Perez, 52, loiters beside the settlement where he typically spends two weeks straight, working 12-hour days before returning to his family.

From Barron's Jun. 12, 2026

It says the vessel slows down when it approaches areas where there are wind farms and loiters in the area.

From BBC Apr. 19, 2023

Besides being a novelty that loiters around your home, Amazon expects us to burden the Astro with tasks like elder care and home security.

From The Verge Oct. 2, 2021

I had hoped that “A House Tour” would create a kind of memory palace, a mansion of the mind, but it just loiters, endlessly, in the gutters.

From New York Times May 3, 2021

She has St Paul’s programme in hand still to complete, and loiters over it.

From The Expositor's Bible: Ephesians by Findlay, G. G.

She said he returned less than 24 hours later and loitered outside her house for hours.

From BBC Jun. 2, 2026

In the days, weeks and months leading up to the release of “Michael,” the one question that loitered at the top of my mind was why Jackson’s estate wasn’t content to leave well enough alone.

From Salon Apr. 25, 2026

He loitered in the streets with his friends and called them “my pippin.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 15, 2026

Border Patrol cops loitered on the sidewalks of a popular nightlife strip, where they got an earful from a passerby in a pink pointelle shirt.

From Slate Aug. 13, 2025

Diego and I loitered on the side of the math building while we waited for the final bell to ring.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

The sight of tankers loitering in the Sea of Azov off the north-eastern coast of occupied Crimea is common, as there is an onshore oil loading facility at Kerch port on the peninsula itself.

From BBC Jul. 9, 2026

“For privacy purposes, they’re not flying just in the sky and loitering, they’re responding at the onset of a call, usually through 9-1-1,” Warner said.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 3, 2026

Cease your practice of copying tour pros, who have turned golf into survival of the finickiest by adhering to preshot routines that violate loitering laws in most states.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 9, 2026

The U.S. also has loitering, guided munitions, such as AeroVironment’s Switchblade, that can be used for different combat objectives.

From Barron's Mar. 9, 2026

He shuffled off, picking up stones and throwing them out into the water, loitering by the base of the bluff, and finally Dicey saw him climb back up by Sammy.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt




Vocabulary lists containing loiter


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training