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procrastinate

proh-KRAS-tuh-nayt /prəˈkræstɪneɪt/

verbB2GRESATTOEFLIELTS

generalacademic

To delay or postpone action; put off doing something.

Often implies a habitual or intentional delay, sometimes due to fear, laziness, or poor time management.

The story behind the word. The word 'procrastinate' comes from the Latin 'procrastinare', which is a combination of 'pro-' meaning 'forward' or 'in favor of' and 'crastinus' meaning 'of tomorrow'. So, to procrastinate is literally to 'put forward to tomorrow' or 'do something for tomorrow'. It perfectly captures the essence of delaying tasks until a later time.

Word relationships

delay: More neutral; can be intentional or unintentional.
postpone: To schedule for a later time, often with a specific new time in mind.
dawdle: To waste time; be slow.

expedite: To make an action happen sooner or be accomplished more quickly.
hasten: To move or act quickly.

Word family

procrastination (noun): The act of delaying or postponing something.
procrastinator (noun): A person who procrastinates.

Collocations

procrastinate on homework
procrastinate doing chores
tend to procrastinate

Idioms & expressions

put off till tomorrow what you can do today

Example sentences

"I always procrastinate on writing essays, leaving them until the last minute." A student reflecting on their habits.
"To overcome the urge to procrastinate, break large tasks into smaller, manageable steps." A self-help book on productivity.

Memory hook

PRO-CRASTINATE means to put things OFF for 'PRO' (for) 'CRAST' (tomorrow). For tomorrow

When not to use

Do not use 'procrastinate' for an unavoidable delay; use 'postpone' or 'delay' instead.

Fun facts

Studies show that procrastination is often linked to emotional regulation rather than just laziness, as people delay tasks to avoid negative feelings associated with them.