dally with
phrasal verb
dallied with; dallying with; dallies with
1
: to do or think about (something) in a way that is not serious
He's been dallying with the idea of running for office.
2
old-fashioned
: to have a casual romantic or sexual relationship with (someone)
a married man who has been dallying with another woman
Examples of dally with in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, a debonair and nonchalant judge, Roland Brack (Nicholas Pinnock), who has arranged George’s loan for the expensive property, is also dallying with Hedda and plots to use his influence—his power, rather—to tighten their extramarital bond.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Catherine refused to do chores, stole from her relatives, and frequently ran away to dally with young men.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025
Loti based his book on his own experiences as a military officer who dallied with local women during his stopovers in Japan.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
And the Green Bay Packers, playing the role of a merry divorcé post-Aaron Rodgers trade, dallied with new playmakers.
—Mike Tanier, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Catherine refused to do chores, stole from her relatives, and frequently ran away to dally with young men.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025
Loti based his book on his own experiences as a military officer who dallied with local women during his stopovers in Japan.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
And the Green Bay Packers, playing the role of a merry divorcé post-Aaron Rodgers trade, dallied with new playmakers.
—Mike Tanier, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Dally with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dally%20with. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share