1. stand or wait around idly or without apparent purpose: "she saw Mary loitering near the cloakrooms"Similarlingerputterwaitskulkloafloungeidlelazewaste timekill timewhile away timeinformal:hang aroundmooch about/aroundarchaic, literary:tarry
▪ travel indolently and with frequent pauses:"they loitered along in the sunshine, stopping at the least excuse"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’.
