When someone temporizes, they are avoiding making a decision or taking action in order to stall or delay. There are many synonyms for this word, including procrastinating, stalling, dilly-dallying, hesitating, vacillating, and delaying. Other related words include equivocating, deferring, prevaricating, and postponing. When someone is temporizing, they are often trying to buy time or avoid committing to a specific course of action. Depending on the context, this can be seen as a wise strategy or a sign of indecisiveness or cowardice. When working with others, it's important to recognize when someone is temporizing and to encourage them to take action when appropriate.