procrastinate
UK[prəʊˈkræstɪneɪt]US[proʊˈkræstɪneɪt]
v
To delay or postpone action; to put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.
Morpheme Breakdown
pro
crastin
ate
pro
forward
crastin
tomorrow
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
The word "procrastinate" has a transparent and logical construction from its Latin roots. It originates from the Latin verb procrastinare, which is a compound of pro- (forward) and crastinus (of tomorrow). Literally, it means "to push forward to tomorrow." This etymological sense perfectly captures the core action of the word: deferring a task to a future time, specifically the next day. The term entered English in the 16th century, retaining this vivid imagery of postponement. Its journey from a literal Latin description of temporal delay to its modern abstract meaning—encompassing habitual avoidance and intentional deferral—demonstrates how a concrete phrase can evolve into a precise psychological and behavioral concept.
Analysis
Structure: pro (forward) + crastin (tomorrow) + ate (verb suffix)
- pro: Latin origin, meaning "forward" or "for".
- crastin: From Latin crastinus, meaning "of tomorrow", derived from cras (tomorrow).
- ate: A verb-forming suffix of Latin origin, indicating an action or process.
Examples
I tend to procrastinate when faced with a large, daunting project.
He procrastinated until the night before the deadline to start writing his essay.
Stop procrastinating and make that important phone call now.