loiter

Meaning

Verb

1. To stand about without any aim or purpose; to stand about idly.
2. (archaic) To stroll about without any aim or purpose, to ramble, to wander.
3. To remain at a certain place instead of moving on.
4. For an aircraft to remain in the air near a target.

Noun

A standing or strolling about without any aim or purpose.

Synonyms

wander

dawdle

linger

tarry

hang around

loaf

delay

stroll

ramble

idle

dally

idle about

lag

lounge

procrastinate

roam

dilly-dally

lollygag

stop

🛑

swing

lurk

mess about

knock around

footle

lallygag

mill about

mill around

laze

prowl

pass time

putter

wander about

waste time

hang out

saunter

sauntered

stray

strolled

swag

tie

roam about

trifle

walk about

walk around

gad about

lag behind

move slowly

stroll around

sway to and fro

wander through

Translations

traîner

bighellonare

errer

flâner

rôder

vagar

χασομερώ

αργοπορώ

trödeln

χαζεύω

indugiare

musarder

gingillare

herumstehen

gironzolare

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlɔɪtə(ɹ)/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: loitren

Cognate with Dutch: leuteren

Cognate with Swiss German: lottern

Cognate with German: Lotterbube

In summary

From Middle English loitren, from Middle Dutch loteren ("to shake, wag, wobble"; > modern Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle, ramble”)), ultimately connected with a frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *lūtaną (“to bend, stoop, cower, shrink from, decline”), see lout. Cognate with Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle”), Alemannic German lottern (“to wobble”), German Lotterbube (“rascal”). More at lout, little.