loitering
loitering — 名詞
1. a crime that happens when someone stays in a public area without a clear purpose
遊蕩罪
在公共場所無故停留的違法行為
a crime that happens when someone stays in a public area without a clear purpose, and the police believe they may be planning to do something against the law
The police arrested three teenagers for loitering outside the shopping mall after midnight.
午夜過後，警方以遊蕩罪逮捕了三名購物中心外的青少年。
arrested for loitering outside [place]
Store owners in the neighbourhood complained about people loitering near their shop entrances.
社區的商店業主投訴有人在店面入口附近遊蕩。
complained about loitering near [place]
Under local laws, the officer can ask anyone loitering in the park to move along.
根據地方法規，員警可以要求任何在公園裡遊蕩的人離開。
A young man was cautioned by the police for loitering near the train station with no valid ticket.
他因為沒有有效車票卻在火車站附近遊蕩，而受到警方警告。
- suspicious presence
phrase used in police reports rather than a single word
- trespassing
related but different — trespassing means being on private property without permission
文法句型
be charged with loitering
accused of loitering
用法筆記
Frequently appears in legal contexts and police reports. The exact definition varies by jurisdiction — some areas require proof of intent to commit a crime, while others consider loitering an offence by itself.
常見錯誤
loitering — 動詞
1. to move or do a task at a very slow speed, especially by stopping often when you
磨蹭；拖延
以緩慢速度行走或做事
to move or do a task at a very slow speed, especially by stopping often when you should be making progress
Theo loitered on his way to school, stopping to watch birds and pick up stones.
Theo 在上學路上磨磨蹭蹭，停下來看鳥、撿石頭。
loitered on [one's] way to [place]
Instead of finishing the report, Mateo loitered by the water cooler chatting with colleagues.
Mateo 沒有去完成報告，反而在水冷器旁邊閒聊磨蹭。
loitered by [place] chatting
The group of hikers kept loitering along the trail, taking photos when they should have kept moving.
那批登山客一直沿著步道慢吞吞地走，在本該前進的時候停下來拍照。
Kwame loitered over his breakfast so long that he missed the morning bus.
Kwame 吃早餐時不斷拖延，結果錯過了早班公車。
- hurry
to move or act with speed
文法句型
loiter + adverb of place
loiter + on/over/in
用法筆記
This sense focuses on slowness or delay, unlike sense 2 (HANG AROUND) which emphasises having no purpose at all. Object is typically an implied destination or task, not a place.
常見錯誤
2. to stay in a place with no clear goal, often simply because you have nothing els
閒逛；徘徊
在一個地方無目的地逗留
to stay in a place with no clear goal, often simply because you have nothing else to do or are waiting for something
Groups of students loitered around the library steps between classes every morning.
每天早上課間，一群群學生會在圖書館階梯附近閒逛。
loitered around [place]
Elena loitered near the cafe entrance, hoping to run into her old friend from high school.
Elena 在咖啡館入口附近徘徊，希望能遇到她高中的老朋友。
loitered near [place] hoping to [do something]
The cat loitered outside the kitchen door every evening, waiting for scraps of fish.
那隻貓每天晚上都在廚房門外徘徊，等著吃剩魚肉。
Instead of going home right away, the children loitered in the playground until it grew dark.
孩子們沒有馬上回家，反而在遊樂場逗留到天黑。
A few fans loitered by the stage door after the concert, hoping for a photograph.
演唱會結束後，有幾個歌迷在後台門口徘徊，希望能合照。
- hang around
much more common in everyday speech; less formal
- linger
suggests staying longer than intended, often with a hint of hesitation or reluctance to leave
文法句型
loiter + adverb of place
loiter + about/around + noun
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (DAWDLE), this sense is about having no purpose rather than moving slowly. Unlike the noun sense (LEGAL OFFENCE), this verb form is not inherently criminal — it describes everyday situations.
常見錯誤
3. to walk or travel more slowly than the people or group you are with, so that you
落後；掉隊
因速度慢而落在隊伍後方
to walk or travel more slowly than the people or group you are with, so that you fall to the back
The youngest child loitered behind the rest of the family during the long walk through the museum.
在漫長的博物館參觀過程中，最小的孩子落在全家人後面。
loitered behind [group] during [activity]
One runner loitered at the back of the pack, unable to keep up with the faster pace.
有一位跑者因體力不支而落後，跟不上前面的人。
loitered at the back of [group]
An old dog loitered behind its owner, stopping every few metres to sniff the ground.
一隻老狗落在主人後面，每隔幾公尺就停下來聞地面。
Deepak loitered behind the tour group because he kept stopping to read the signs in each room.
Deepak 因為每到一個房間就停下來看說明牌，結果掉隊落在旅行團後面。
- lag behind
much more common; can also be used for non-physical contexts like progress or technology
- trail
suggests being at the back in a race or competition as well as physically
- fall behind
common in both physical and metaphorical senses
文法句型
loiter + behind + noun
用法筆記
This sense is the least common of the three verb senses. In modern English, 'lag behind' or 'fall behind' is far more frequent for this meaning.