Thesaurus / shilly shally
FEEDBACKsynonyms for shilly shally
synonyms for shilly shally
- afraid
- averse
- backward
- dawdling
- delaying
- diffident
- disinclined
- doubtful
- doubting
- faltering
- half-hearted
- halting
- hanging back
- hesitating
- indecisive
- irresolute
- lacking confidence
- lazy
- loath
- pendulous
- reluctant
- shilly-shally
- shy
- skeptical
- slow
- tentative
- timid
- uneager
- unpredictable
- unsure
- unwilling
- vacillating
- vacillatory
- wavering
- afraid
- averse
- backward
- dawdling
- delaying
- diffident
- disinclined
- doubtful
- doubting
- faltering
- half-hearted
- halting
- hanging back
- hesitating
- indecisive
- irresolute
- lacking confidence
- lazy
- loath
- pendulous
- reluctant
- shilly-shally
- shy
- skeptical
- slow
- tentative
- timid
- uneager
- unpredictable
- unsure
- unwilling
- vacillant
- vacillating
- wavering
- dawdling
- delay
- demurral
- doubt
- dubiety
- equivocation
- faltering
- fluctuation
- hesitancy
- indecision
- indisposition
- irresoluteness
- irresolution
- misgiving
- mistrust
- oscillation
- pause
- procrastination
- qualm
- reluctance
- scruple
- skepticism
- timidity
- timidness
- unwillingness
- vacillation
- wavering
- averseness
- delaying
- fumbling
- hemming and hawing
- shilly-shally
- stammering
- stumbling
- stuttering
- tentativeness
- to and fro
- dawdling
- delay
- demurral
- doubt
- dubiety
- equivocation
- faltering
- fluctuation
- hesitancy
- indecision
- indecisiveness
- indisposition
- irresolution
- misgiving
- mistrust
- oscillation
- pause
- procrastination
- qualm
- reluctance
- scruple
- skepticism
- timidity
- timidness
- unwillingness
- vacillation
- wavering
- averseness
- delaying
- fumbling
- hemming and hawing
- shilly-shally
- stammering
- stumbling
- stuttering
- tentativeness
- to and fro
- dawdling
- delay
- demurral
- doubt
- dubiety
- equivocation
- faltering
- fluctuation
- hesitancy
- indecision
- indecisiveness
- indisposition
- irresoluteness
- misgiving
- mistrust
- oscillation
- pause
- procrastination
- qualm
- reluctance
- scruple
- skepticism
- timidity
- timidness
- unwillingness
- vacillation
- wavering
- averseness
- delaying
- fumbling
- hemming and hawing
- shilly-shally
- stammering
- stumbling
- stuttering
- tentativeness
- to and fro
- averseness
- dawdling
- delay
- delaying
- demurral
- doubt
- dubiety
- equivocation
- faltering
- fluctuation
- fumbling
- hemming and hawing
- hesitancy
- indecision
- indecisiveness
- indisposition
- irresoluteness
- irresolution
- misgiving
- mistrust
- oscillation
- pause
- procrastination
- qualm
- reluctance
- scruple
- shilly-shally
- skepticism
- stammering
- stumbling
- stuttering
- timidity
- timidness
- to and fro
- unwillingness
- vacillation
- wavering
- dawdling
- delay
- demurral
- doubt
- dubiety
- equivocation
- faltering
- fluctuation
- hesitancy
- indecision
- indecisiveness
- indisposition
- irresoluteness
- irresolution
- misgiving
- mistrust
- oscillation
- pause
- procrastination
- qualm
- reluctance
- scruple
- skepticism
- timidity
- unwillingness
- vacillation
- wavering
- averseness
- delaying
- fumbling
- hemming and hawing
- shilly-shally
- stammering
- stumbling
- stuttering
- tentativeness
- to and fro
- averseness
- dawdling
- delay
- delaying
- demurral
- doubt
- dubiety
- equivocation
- faltering
- fluctuation
- fumbling
- hemming and hawing
- hesitancy
- indecision
- indecisiveness
- indisposition
- irresoluteness
- irresolution
- misgiving
- mistrust
- oscillation
- pause
- procrastination
- qualm
- reluctance
- scruple
- shilly-shally
- skepticism
- stammering
- stumbling
- stuttering
- tentativeness
- timidity
- timidness
- unwillingness
- vacillation
- wavering
- dawdle
- hesitate
- adjourn
- cool
- dally
- defer
- drag
- goldbrick
- lag
- linger
- loiter
- pause
- poke
- postpone
- prolong
- protract
- retard
- stall
- stay
- suspend
- tarry
- temporize
- wait
- be dilatory
- drag one's feet
- give the runaround
- hang fire
- hold off
- let slide
- play a waiting game
- play for time
- shilly-shally
- dither
- fluctuate
- oscillate
- seesaw
- waffle
- waver
- alternate
- change
- hedge
- hesitate
- hover
- pause
- reel
- rock
- stagger
- straddle
- sway
- swing
- be indecisive
- be irresolute
- change mind
- fence-straddle
- hem and haw
- pussyfoot around
- run hot and cold
- shilly-shally
- whiffle
- yo-yo
- alter
- differ
- diverge
- diversify
- divide
- fluctuate
- modify
- range
- alternate
- assort
- convert
- depart
- deviate
- digress
- disagree
- displace
- dissent
- divaricate
- inflect
- interchange
- mutate
- part
- separate
- swerve
- transform
- turn
- variegate
- be unlike
- blow hot and cold
- hem and haw
- permutate
- shilly-shally
- take turns
- yo-yo
- back and fill
- beat around the bush
- beg the question
- dance around
- equivocate
- euphemize
- fudge and mudge
- hum and haw
- mince words
- shilly-shally
- tapdance
- burn daylight
- dally
- dawdle
- delay
- dillydally
- fiddle about
- fritter away time
- goof off
- kill time
- linger
- loiter
- lollygag
- lose time
- pass the time
- piddle
- procrastinate
- shilly-shally
- take one's own sweet time
- take one's time
- tarry
- while away the time
- be irresolute
- blow hot and cold
- dally
- dawdle
- dodge
- fluctuate
- halt
- hesitate
- stall
- trifle
- vacillate
- waver
- be apprehensive of
- be curious
- be dubious
- be in a quandary
- be puzzled
- be uncertain
- be undetermined
- call in question
- challenge
- demur
- disbelieve
- discredit
- dispute
- distrust
- fear
- fluctuate
- give no credence
- harbor suspicion
- have one's doubts
- have qualms
- hesitate
- imagine
- impugn
- insinuate
- misgive
- mistrust
- not buy
- query
- question
- read differently
- scruple
- shilly-shally
- skepticize
- smell a rat
- surmise
- suspect
- take dim view of
- vacillate
- waver
- wonder
- wonder at
- distrust
- hesitate
- impugn
- suspect
- challenge
- demur
- disbelieve
- discredit
- dispute
- fear
- fluctuate
- imagine
- insinuate
- misgive
- mistrust
- query
- scruple
- surmise
- vacillate
- waver
- be apprehensive of
- be curious
- be dubious
- be in a quandary
- be puzzled
- be uncertain
- be undetermined
- call in question
- give no credence
- harbor suspicion
- have qualms
- misdoubt
- not buy
- read differently
- shilly-shally
- skepticize
- smell a rat
- take dim view of
- wonder at
- alter
- intersperse
- rotate
- vary
- waver
- change
- exchange
- fluctuate
- follow
- interchange
- oscillate
- relieve
- seesaw
- shift
- substitute
- sway
- vacillate
- yo-yo
- act reciprocally
- blow hot and cold
- come and go
- fill in for
- follow in turn
- shilly-shally
- dither
- falter
- hobble
- limp
- pause
- stagger
- stammer
- stumble
- vacillate
- waver
- be defective
- shilly-shally
- whiffle
- wiggle-waggle
- fudge
- sidestep
- waffle
- duck
- equivocate
- evade
- flip-flop
- jive
- prevaricate
- pussyfoot
- quibble
- shuck
- shuffle
- stall
- stonewall
- temporize
- tergiversate
- beat around the bush
- be noncommittal
- blow hot and cold
- cop a plea
- cop out
- give the runaround
- hem and haw
- pass the buck
- run around
- shilly-shally
- sit on the fence
- tergiverse
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
How to use shilly shally in a sentence
You that haven't a bit or a sup but what comes from him, and you to stand shilly-shallying!
AN OLD MAN'S LOVEANTHONY TROLLOPEThere would be none of this shilly-shallying back-and-forth work then!
JOAN OF THE SWORD HANDS(AMUEL) R(UTHERFORD) CROCKETTWe will make no further pretence, and lest I lose you by further shilly-shallying, we will start upon our journey at once.
ROMANCE OF ROMAN VILLASELIZABETH W. (ELIZBETH WILLIAMS) CHAMPNEYHowever, one thing was certain: there must be no shilly-shallying.
TALES OF NORTHUMBRIAHOWARD PEASEStrange that people will have so much faith in shilly-shally!
CHARLES SUMNER; HIS COMPLETE WORKS, VOLUME 7 (OF 20)CHARLES SUMNERCan't you see that you are driving me distracted with your shilly-shallying?
A CRIME OF THE UNDER-SEASGUY BOOTHBY"I have little experience of shilly-shally methods," replied his visitor.
THE OPEN QUESTIONELIZABETH ROBINSNo more shilly-shallying—he had thrown the dice and lost and must pay the stakes.
THE MAN AND THE MOMENTELINOR GLYNWhy don't they go into the place, without all this shilly-shallying?
THE THIN RED LINE; AND BLUE BLOODARTHUR GRIFFITHSI hear the shilly-shally policy of the English Government bitterly condemned.
CITIES OF THE DAWNJ. EWING RITCHIE