dillydally -
To waste time through aimless wandering or indecision
Beth and Kat dillydallied outside the store instead of going inside and buying something.
noun
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impasse -
A situation where no progress is possible due to disagreement or a deadlock.
The peace talks reached an impasse when neither side was willing to compromise.
noun
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backlog -
A quantity of work that should have been done already, but has not yet been done
When Bill got back from his vacation, there was such a backlog of work to catch up with, that he had to work until 10pm every night for a week.
noun
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obstacle -
Something that blocks your way so that movement or progress is prevented or made more difficult.
Bill wanted to become a doctor, but a major obstacle that made that goal difficult was that he hated studying.
verb
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evade -
To avoid or escape from someone or something.
For years after stealing the jewels from the Jewelry store, Marcel managed to evade being caught.
verb
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restrain -
To physically or metaphorically prevent someone or something from moving, acting, or progressing.
The police officer had to restrain the crowd to prevent further chaos during the protest.
verb
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defuse -
To reduce the tension or danger in a difficult situation.
The mediator worked hard to defuse the conflict and tension between the two sides that were trying to negotiate an agreement.
verb
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deflect -
To direct attention away from a topic
At the press conference the Mayor didn't want to talk about the issue being asked, so he deflected the question and talked about a different subject.
verb
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balk -
To hesitate or be unwilling to continue with an idea or action.
Max had made all the plans to move from his apartment to the senior citizens home, but at the last minute, he balked and just couldn’t go through with it.
adjective
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reluctant -
Not willing to do something and therefore slow to do it
They were reluctant to invest in the startup without more solid information.
noun
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slacker -
A person who avoids work or effort
Chris was the ultimate slacker at work, asleep at his desk half the time.
noun
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standstill -
A halt in activity, usually temporary but total.
Traffic came to a standstill after the accident on the highway.
