What does procrastinate mean?
Word: Procrastinate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Procrastinate means to keep putting off something you should do, often because it is boring or difficult.
Synonyms: postpone, dawdle, stall
Antonyms: hurry, act
Word origin: Comes from Latin procrastinare, from pro (forward) and cras (tomorrow).
How do you spell procrastinate?
Syllables: pro - cras - ti - nate
Tricky part: There are two r's: one in pro and one in cras. Students often drop the second and write procastinate.
Watch out for: procastinate, procrasinate, percrastinate
Memory tip: Growl both r's as you say it: prrro-crrras-tinate. If you cannot hear two growls, you have dropped one.
Procrastinate in a sentence
Example 1: If you procrastinate all week, the science project will be a rush on Sunday night.
Example 2: My brother tends to procrastinate when he has to tidy his cupboard.
Example 3: Write the first line now; do not procrastinate any longer.
Fun Fact
The saying Procrastination is the thief of time comes from Night Thoughts, a long poem by the English poet Edward Young, published in the 1740s.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) elimenate
b) procrastinate
c) apreciate
d) exagerate
Show answer
b) procrastinate. Exaggerate needs gg, eliminate has an i after l, and appreciate needs pp.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word: procrastinate
a) prepare
b) delay
c) proceed
d) finish
Show answer
b) delay. To procrastinate is to delay a task; proceed means to go on with it.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
nacrotspatire
a) procreate
b) prostrate
c) prognosticate
d) procrastinate
Show answer
d) procrastinate. Procreate and prostrate are too short, and prognosticate needs a g and an o that are not there.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Meera tends to procrastenate when a long essay is due, so her mother made her a timetable.
a) timetable
b) essay
c) mother
d) procrastenate
Show answer
d) procrastenate. The vowel after st is i: pro-cras-ti-nate.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Yuki kept watching videos instead of starting her homework. What was she doing?
a) putting off her work
b) checking her answers
c) resting after school
d) planning her project
Show answer
a) putting off her work
2. Which piece of advice would help someone who procrastinates?
a) Leave it until the last minute.
b) Start the task today in small steps.
c) Do something easier first, every time.
d) Wait until you feel like doing it.
Show answer
b) Start the task today in small steps.
