lollygag
/ˈlɒlɪɡæɡ/
"lollygag" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“lollygag” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To dawdle; to be lazy or idle; to avoid necessary work or effort.
Corpus desk
Index EN-lollygag · lollygag · English
lollygag · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 8 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "L" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | lollygag |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈlɒlɪɡæɡ/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “lollygag” in English
Rare enough to double-check
lollygag is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈlɒlɪɡæɡ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for lollygag, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: By surface analysis, lolly (“fool, tongue”) + gag (“fool around”). Compare lollypoop. Cited in American dialects from 1871 and attested since at least 1859. The correct English form is lollygag, spelled L-O-L-L-Y-G-A-G.
Definition
- 1To dawdle; to be lazy or idle; to avoid necessary work or effort.
- 2To fool around, especially sexually.
- 3To effusively (often excessively) display affection.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how lollygag appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Stop lollygagging! […] He ate ALL the ship's food! 'Zat your friend? Show him outta here!
Now this plaintiff thinks how poor he hereafter will have to live, for the sake of old Green's having a fine fat woman to lollygag with.
Etymology
By surface analysis, lolly (“fool, tongue”) + gag (“fool around”). Compare lollypoop. Cited in American dialects from 1871 and attested since at least 1859.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.