Dilatory
Causing delay; tending to delay or hinder action; not prompt.
adjectiveDilatory
Causing delay; tending to delay or hinder action; not prompt.
adjective💡
Imagine This
The doctor dilates your eye in order to examine inside the eye. After your eye is dilated, it delays the eye from getting back to normal.
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Sounds Like
DIL-uh-tor-ee
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Looks Like
dilate + ory (visually resembles the word 'dilate' with the suffix -ory)
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Remember This
The root is linked to delay; related forms include dilator and dilatorily (adverb). The idea is something that slows things down, either intentionally or habitually.
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Other Forms
dilatorilyadverb
dilatorinessnoun
dilatornoun
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Connect With
delay, procrastinate, stall, slow, tardy
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Note
Dilatory describes behavior or actions that are slow to proceed or intentionally delaying, not simply being late. Do not confuse with similar-sounding words like 'dilate' (to widen).