1. Waste time
   "Get busy—don't dawdle!";
   - dally
    
2. Take one's time; proceed slowly
   "The children dawdled on their way to school";
   - linger
    
3. Hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.
   "The student dawdled and fell behind in her studies";
   - lag, fall back, fall behind

Derived forms: dawdled, dawdles, dawdling

See also: fall, linger over

Type of: acquit, act, bear, behave, carry, comport, conduct, deport, do, follow, move