loitering
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.
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.
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.
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
1Other 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
These minor offenses include encroachment, loitering, illegal lodging and other activities associated with being homeless.
Homes not Jails: Safety through Services | Terra Lawson-Remer and Gloria Cruz Cardenas | October 23, 2021 | Voice of San DiegoIn addition to the drone swarm and underwater robots, the exercise featured a human-portable loitering munition, a kind of semi-autonomous flying weapon that can receive orders from a human operator to attack a selected target.
Drones could help save soldiers’ lives by delivering blood on demand | Rob Verger | July 25, 2021 | Popular-ScienceWe’re loitering up top when we see, rising from behind a knuckle of rock, the telltale dust cloud of our truck spinning its wheels.
On mountain bikes in the Utah desert, a college reunion like no other | John Briley | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostThey could not have been nicer, and they sent an officer by and presumably told the kids not to loiter in the parking lot, and the kids left the area.
Hints From Heloise: A safe Thanksgiving probably won’t be a traditional one | Heloise Heloise | November 12, 2020 | Washington PostMany officers concluded it wasn’t worth the hassle to arrest someone for relatively minor offenses, such as public disturbance or loitering, the former officer said.
What Can Mayors Do When the Police Stop Doing Their Jobs? | by Alec MacGillis | September 3, 2020 | ProPublica
Now, with the publication of ‘loitering,’ the uninitiated can discover what all the fuss is about.
Charles D’Ambrosio’s X-Ray Vision Is On Full Display In His New Essay Collection. | Steve Almond | November 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTReading loitering I thought about David Foster Wallace a lot.
Charles D’Ambrosio’s X-Ray Vision Is On Full Display In His New Essay Collection. | Steve Almond | November 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe issue has quickly turned from the supposed issue at hand—namely, is he "loitering" in a place that forbids it?
An absentee father is loitering about with his son and namesake, Mason Jr., at a deserted concert hall.
The Making of ‘Boyhood’: Richard Linklater’s 12-Year Journey to Create An American Masterpiece | Marlow Stern | July 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTNor did we cruise in the singles bar or Christopher Street sense, loitering with sexual intent.
P.J. O’Rourke on Grabbing the Keys to Happiness | P. J. O’Rourke | January 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThey were slowing down at a station and there were no less than three picturesque looking young fellows loitering about the place.
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle | Laura Lee HopeThen off would roam Sally, perhaps loitering around fair Ingleside, or returning to her beloved pine woods and leafy oak-tree.
Maid Sally | Harriet A. CheeverShe tried to drop behind; but the team had an infinite capacity for loitering.
Earth's Enigmas | Charles G. D. RobertsHe was a bird of affairs; he had too much on his mind for loitering.
In Nesting Time | Olive Thorne MillerShe questioned a peasant who was loitering near the drawbridge.
A German Pompadour | Marie Hay
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