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Glite Dictionary
to dither over

to dither over

1 7.9
To hesitate before deciding, often about small things
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈdɪðər ˈoʊvər/
translation icon : dudar sobre
  • I dithered over it and finally decided, "next year."

Examples

  • Blathering and dithering over "Doesn't he recognize (you name it)?" and "Why does he delay?" and "He should stop apologizing?" is a useless waste of time.

    Blog text (1)

  • Did you wait until you got to the register to go through your items one by one, dithering over which ones you want?

    Blog text (1)

  • I've always got to put outside pressure on myself to get big projects done, or I'll spend years dithering over them.

    Blog text (12)

  • "Then they would dither over how we would get along in a world crowded by so many competing mentalities."

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Some parents spend days dithering over one name.

  • After dithering over what to do, Louis finally decided to seek refuge in the distant Rambouillet chateau.

  • She dithered over each item, wondering what she would need on the road ahead.

Synonyms

to hesitate
vsto dither over
318 2.5

To pause before saying or doing something because you feel unsure

is about indecision over small matters rather than a short pause
to waver
vsto dither over
52 5.7

To show doubt when making a decision

is specifically about being unsure over minor decisions
to hover
vsto dither over
37 5.4

To be unable to decide between different options in your mind

is used mainly when the indecision involves small or trivial matters
to sleep on it
vsto dither over
26 3.7

To delay making a decision until the next day to think about it

is hesitation about minor choices now rather than a planned delay
to mull over
vsto dither over
19 4.0

To think carefully about something before deciding

is indecision about small matters rather than deliberate careful thought
to waffle
vsto dither over
15 8.3

To delay giving a clear answer or making a choice

is focused on brief indecision over small choices rather than avoidance
to vacillate
vsto dither over
8 8.1

To be unable to decide and keep changing between choices

is narrower, applying to hesitation about minor decisions
to dither
vsto dither over
8 7.7

To act nervously and be unable to decide quickly

focuses on hesitating over minor decisions rather than major ones
to dally
vsto dither over
4 7.7

To waste time by moving or acting slowly

involves hesitating about small matters rather than merely wasting time
to waver in
vsto dither over
3 6.6

To feel unsure about making a decision or taking action

is used for indecision mainly about small or trivial matters
to wabble
vsto dither over
9.9

To be unsure and change your mind often

is about hesitating briefly over small decisions rather than constant change
to shillyshally
vsto dither over
  • Informal
9.9

Hesitate instead of deciding or acting quickly

is more about brief hesitation over minor choices than prolonged delay

Antonyms

to decide
∞ 1.0

To make a choice after thinking about the options

to commit
706 3.4

To give time, money, or effort to something

How Indecisive

to vacillate
8 8.1
to dither over
1 7.9
to hesitate
318 2.5
to pause
346 1.0

Surface Forms

dither over infinitive
dithered over past
dithered over past participle
dithering over present participle
dithers over third person singular

Morphology

dither + over

The verb 'dither' already encodes the core meaning 'to hesitate', and the preposition 'over' simply marks the thing being hesitated about (i.e. 'about' or 'regarding'). This verb+preposition combination is a regular, compositional pattern found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to derive the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Dither over may come from an old meaning of dither, to shake or tremble. Picture someone shaking and moving back and forth between choices so they cannot decide; that's why dither over means 'to hesitate' or 'be indecisive'.