procrastinate, v.
(prəʊˈkræstɪneɪt)
[f. L. prōcrastin-āre to put off till the morrow, to defer, f. L. prō, pro-1 1 d + crastin-us belonging to tomorrow (f. crās to-morrow): see -ate3.]
1. trans. To postpone till another day; to put off from day to day; to defer, delay. Now rare.
| 1588 J. Harvey Disc. Probl. 114 The significations of this Coniunction happening in the watrie Trigon, are procrastinated or prolonged untill after sixe Coniunctions immediately insuing. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 1216 The shortnes of time, which allowed us no leasure..to procrastinate the matter. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia iv. 158 Many such deuices they fained to procrastinate the time. 1775 Sterne's Sent. Journ. Contin. IV. 246, I blush to take a view of myself, and would procrastinate a scrutiny which harrows me at reflection. 1871 Browning Balaust. 2385 It was the crowning grace of that great heart, To keep back joy; procrastinate the truth. |
2. intr. To defer action, delay; to be dilatory.
| 1638 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 93 Bacherchan having commission to persecute Curroon, procrastinates not. 1647 Ward Simp. Cobler 37 To procrastinate in matters clear..may be dangerous. 1746–7 Hervey Medit. (1818) 225 While we procrastinate, a fatal stroke may intervene. 1850 M{supc}Cosh Div. Govt. i. ii. (1874) 45 He hesitates and procrastinates till the time for action is over. |
Hence proˈcrastinated ppl. a., proˈcrastinating vbl. n. and ppl. a.; proˈcrastinatingly adv.
| 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia iii. 73 The President seeing the procrastinating of time was no course to liue. 1633 Earl of Manchester Al Mondo (1636) 124 There is no safetie in procrastinating. 1665 Manley Grotius' Low C. Warres 686 Great Winds and Rain..caused a procrastinating Delay in the Transacting of many Affairs. 1774 Burke Amer. Tax. Wks. II. 402 A timid, unsystematick, procrastinating ministry. 1789 M. Madan tr. Persius (1795) 130 note, Procrastinated time will always fly on. 1893 Huxley in Life (1900) II. xxi. 364, I was too procrastinatingly lazy to expend even that amount of energy. |