procrastinate
/prəˈkræs.tɪ.neɪt/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To delay doing something that you should do, often because you feel lazy, nervous, or distracted.
- I always procrastinate before exams.
- Don't procrastinate on your application.
- She procrastinated until the last minute.
Adinary Nuance
Procrastinate is stronger than just delay. Delay can be neutral, but procrastinate usually suggests avoidable postponement. It is also more specific than postpone, which often sounds planned or formal. Use procrastinate when someone keeps putting off work, study, or a task.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- trì hoãn
- Spanish
- procrastinar
- Chinese
- 拖延
- Japanese
- 先延ばしにする
- Korean
- 미루다
Etymology
It comes from Latin procrastinare, meaning 'to put off until tomorrow'. English has used it since the 16th century.
Common phrases
procrastinate over somethingprocrastinate on somethinga procrastinating habitstop procrastinating
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is procrastinate formal or informal?
- It is common in both speaking and writing. It sounds natural in school, business, and self-help contexts.
- What is the difference between procrastinate and delay?
- Delay is neutral and can be planned. Procrastinate usually means you keep putting something off unnecessarily.
- Can I say 'procrastinate on' a task?
- Yes, that is very common in modern English. You can also say 'procrastinate over' something.
- Is procrastinate used in academic writing?
- Yes, especially when discussing study habits, time management, or student behaviour.