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procrastinate

/prəˈkræstɪneɪt/
verb★Intermediate💡 delay or postpone action
informal

To delay or postpone action, often unnecessarily or habitually.

He procrastinated on his homework and ended up staying up all night to finish it.

He delayed starting his homework until the last minute, forcing him to work through the night.

Procrastination can lead to increased stress and lower productivity.

Delaying tasks often results in higher stress levels and reduced efficiency.

💡

Commonly associated with avoiding unpleasant or challenging tasks.

Collocations

procrastinate ondelay or avoid doing something specificchronic procrastinatorsomeone who habitually delays tasks

Synonyms

delaypostponeput offstalldawdle

Antonyms

actinitiatestartbegintackle

Related Phrases

procrastinationphrase
the act of delaying or postponing tasks
procrastination paradoxphrase
the tendency to procrastinate despite knowing it's harmful

💡Pro Tip

Overcoming Procrastination

Break tasks into smaller steps and set deadlines to reduce avoidance.

⚡Gold Rule

Avoid Procrastination

Prioritize tasks and start with the most important ones first.

📖Word Origin

From Latin 'procrastinare', meaning 'to put off until tomorrow', from 'pro-' (forward) + 'crastinus' (of tomorrow).

📝Usage Notes

Often used to describe a tendency to avoid tasks due to lack of motivation or fear of failure.

Word Breakdown

pro-
forward
prefix
+
-crastin-
of tomorrow
root
+
-ate
to make or cause
suffix
English Dictionary

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