loitering

[ loi-ter-ing ]
See synonyms for: loiteringloiterings on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the act of lingering aimlessly or as if aimlessly in or about a place: A cluster of teens gathered in front of the plaza were charged with violating a city bylaw against loitering.

  2. the act of moving in a slow, idle manner, with purposeless stops: His celebration of loitering as the best form of travel will resonate with anyone who has ever dared toss away a tourist map.

  1. the act of wasting time or dawdling over work: As film director Jean Renoir notes, “The foundation of all civilization is loitering” because it gives time for creative thinking.

adjective
  1. lingering aimlessly, moving slowly and idly, or wasting time: Fossil fuels may not remain plentiful long enough to underwrite such a loitering transition to renewable energy.

Origin of loitering

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; loiter + -ing1 for the noun senses; loiter + -ing2 for the adjective sense

Other words from loitering

  • loi·ter·ing·ly, adverb

Words Nearby loitering

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use loitering in a sentence