What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
dawdlingly
Example
The children were dawdlingly walking home from school. [dawdlingly: adverb]
Example
He was dawdlingly cleaning his room instead of doing his homework. [dawdlingly: gerund or present participle]
idly
Example
She was idly flipping through the pages of a magazine. [idly: adverb]
Example
He spent the afternoon idly lounging on the couch. [idly: adverb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Idly is more commonly used than dawdlingly in everyday language. Idly is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while dawdlingly is less common and may be considered more formal or literary.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between dawdlingly and idly?
Dawdlingly may be considered more formal or literary than idly, which is more commonly used in informal contexts.
