dilatory
tending to cause delay or to procrastinate
Word origin: From Latin dilatorius, from differre, to postpone.
Dilatory in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing dilatory in a sentence.
The defense used dilatory tactics to push back the trial date.
The defense's dilatory tactics dragged the trial out for months beyond its expected close.
Using “dilatory” well
Dilatory describes a tendency to delay or stall, pairing with tardy and procrastinating. It often implies that the delay is deliberate, as in dilatory tactics.
More GRE words starting with D
to engage in something superficially or as a casual pastime
a raised platform for speakers or honored guests
to waste time or act without urgency
to make something slightly wet, or to make a feeling or reaction less strong
marked with spots or patches of color or light
to intimidate or discourage with fear or doubt
to move slowly or waste time idly
a scarcity or shortage of something
Questions about “dilatory”
See these words the way the GRE tests them.
Definitions in isolation do not stick. Sit a free, full-length GRE mock and meet this vocabulary inside real text completion and sentence equivalence questions, with your score and a worked solution for every answer.