Dally
[DAL-ee]
Part of speech: verb
Origin: Old French, 15th century
1.
Act or move slowly.
2.
Have a casual romantic liaison with.
Examples of Dally in a sentence
"I was enjoying the spring weather so much that I dallied on my way back to the office."
"He’s not looking for a serious relationship, but he has been known to dally with a new romance."
About Dally
Here’s a handy little verb with two different definitions. You probably won't dally if you're going to dally with someone. If you're dallying (having a casual romantic relationship), there's not a long courtship, so you won't dally (delay) going on a few dates.
Did you Know?
In Old French, "dailer" meant "to chat." As the word progressed into English, it adopted the definition of "moving slowly" — or "to have a romantic entanglement." Then it acquired another usage of a casual, noncommittal interest in anything. There is a connecting thread here. You might waste time by having a leisurely chat, and that conversation could lead to romance, or perhaps a new acquaintanceship — these are all forms of dallying.
