Word: dilatory (adjective)

Associations

The word "dilatory" describes something or someone that is slow to act or intended to cause delay. It often has a negative meaning, suggesting procrastination or unnecessary delay.

• "The lawyer used dilatory tactics to delay the trial." Here, "dilatory" means the lawyer is purposely slowing down the process.
• "She was dilatory in completing her homework." This means she was slow or late in finishing her work.
• "The government’s dilatory response caused public frustration." This means the response was too slow. A well-known synonym is "slow," but "dilatory" usually implies intentional or careless delay, not just slowness.

Substitution

You can replace "dilatory" with:

• "slow" (more neutral, just speed)
• "procrastinating" (implies delay by choice)
• "tardy" (more about being late)
• "delaying" (focuses on causing delay) Each changes the meaning slightly: "dilatory" often suggests delay that is avoidable or purposeful.

Deconstruction

• Root: From Latin "dilatorius," from "dilatus," past participle of "differre" meaning "to delay."
• Prefix: None specifically, but the root itself means delay.
• Suffix: "-ory" is an adjective suffix meaning "related to" or "characterized by." So, "dilatory" means "characterized by delay."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation when being dilatory might be harmful? When might it be harmless?
• Have you ever been dilatory in doing something important? What happened?
• How would you feel if someone was dilatory in responding to your messages?