Hello and welcome to the English Language Clinic. I usually write this article three or four days in advance of my ?deadline? (the time before which a task must be finished); this week, I?ve waited until the last minute. My delay could be described as ?fortuitous? (lucky), as it helps me answer this week?s question, ?what does ?procrastinate? mean??. If you ?procrastinate?, you avoid completing a task until a later time.

Synonyms include ?dither?, ?delay?, ?shirk?, ?stall?, ?play for time? and ?defer?. If you are a ?procrastinator?, there is a good chance that you are also a ?malingerer? and a ?shirker?. You are also probably an ?idler? and a ?loafer? (not to be confused with the light casual shoe, also known as a ?loafer? or the dried inner part of a gourd-like fruit (used as a sponge) known as a ?loofah?.)

?Procrastination? is deliberate; actively avoiding action. If the reason you have not completed something or done what you?ve said you would is due to indecision or uncertainty, you are guilty of ?vacillation?. To ?vacillate? is to frequently change your mind; ?hesitate? or ?waver?. But, if you fail to complete a task because yo?re just not working hard or fast enough, you are guilty of ?dawdling?, ?dilly-dallying?, ?lingering? and ?tarrying?.The above reasons for delaying completion of something are all quite negative. If, however, you wait until a later time because you know that the results will be better, you are displaying the ?commendable? (worthy of praise or commendation) ability of recognising the worth of ?deferred gratification?; which I hope is the case with this article!

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