loiter
To stand about without any aim or purposeTo stand about without any aim or purpose; to stand about idly.
» The prince loitered about all day.
Hybrid · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
4 senses(intransitive)To stand about without any aim or purpose; to stand about idly.
For some reason, they discourage loitering outside the store, but encourage it inside.
rumlungern, rumhängen, herumhängen
торча́тьtorčátʹ, окола́чиватьсяokoláčivatʹsja, ошива́тьсяošivátʹsja
стоя́ти стовпо́мstojáty stovpóm
be about a place without any apparent purpose
(intransitive)To remain at a certain place instead of moving on.
(intransitive)Of an aircraft, to remain in the air near a target.
(archaic, intransitive)To stroll about without any aim or purpose, to ramble, to wander.
Examples
17 sentencesThe prince loitered about all day.
Why are you loitering around my house?
Do you know where my man loiters?
deWeißt du, wo sich mein Typ aufhält? — Tom9358
The girl loitered in front of the house.
A strange person is loitering around the house.
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English loitren, from Middle Dutch loteren ("to shake, wag, wobble"; > modernFrom 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 lottern (“live a slovenly life”). More at lout, little.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
loiters, loitering, loitered, loiteredSynonyms
56 synonyms- be about a place without any apparent purpose:loungefootlelollygagloaflallygaghang aroundmess abouttarry
Antonyms
7 antonymsWord family
14 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle