1. stand or wait around without apparent purpose: "she saw Mary loitering near the cloakrooms"Similarlingerpotterwaitskulkloafloungeidlelazewaste timekill timewhile away timeinformal:hang around/roundhang aboutmooch about/aroundarchaic, literary:tarry
▪ walk slowly and with no apparent purpose; dawdle:"the weather had tempted them to loiter along the banks of the Cherwell"Similardawdledallystrollsaunterlollgo slowlytake one's timego/move at a snail's pacedrag one's feetdelayinformal:dilly-dallymoseymooch
Word Originlate Middle English: perhaps from Middle Dutch loteren ‘wag about’.
