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Glite Dictionary
to hem and haw

to hem and haw

3 8.4
To speak slowly and pause instead of answering clearly because you feel unsure
  • phrasal verb
  • /hɛm ənd hɔ/
  • Informal
translation icon : titubear
  • In turn, Westerners hem and haw, prevaricate, and finally fold.
  • hem and haw

Because I was Hemming and hawing and I'm not good at that.

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Examples

  • He kept hemming and hawing instead of giving a straight answer about the project.

  • After much Hemming and hawing, they actually end up going to therapy.

  • You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone else is gonna make that choice for you.

    It (2017)

  • So why is she hemming and hawing now?

    Academic text (2009)

  • "But the lab chief hemmed and hawed; as it turned out, she had business after lunch.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • He's gonna hem and haw for 2 or 3 weeks.

    Lying and Stealing (2019)

  • Why could he not answer Ed Henry's question instead of hemming and hawing around it?

    Blog text (1)

  • Don't allow them to hem and haw or talk their way around the question.

    Blog text (16)

  • She hemmed and hawed a bit, but I finally pried the name of a hospital out of her.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • He's hemming and hawing and pausing and taking a breath.

    Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004)

Synonyms

to stutter
vsto hem and haw
57 4.9

To speak with difficulty by repeating sounds or pausing often

usually refers to hesitation with unclear noises and choice rather than an involuntary disorder
to stammer
vsto hem and haw
26 4.8

To speak with short pauses and repeated sounds that make words hard to understand

is about hesitant speech including unclear noises rather than involuntary repetition
to haw
vsto hem and haw
6 9.9

To say 'haw' when you hesitate while speaking

uses multiple pauses and unclear noises instead of giving a clear response
to falter
vsto hem and haw
4 5.4

To speak in a weak, broken voice because of strong feeling

uses pauses and unintelligible noises instead of straightforward replies
to stumble over one's words
vsto hem and haw
  • Informal
1 5.6

To speak with small pauses and mistakes because you are nervous

often produces unclear noises and long pauses rather than brief slips
to choke on one's words
vsto hem and haw
1 7.8

To stop speaking because you feel nervous, embarrassed, or upset

tends to use unclear sounds and pauses instead of being completely unable to speak

Antonyms

to respond
∞ 1.0

To say or do something as an answer to what someone says

How Hesitant

to stall
166 4.3
to dither
8 7.7
to hem and haw
  • Informal
3 8.4
to hesitate
318 2.5
to pause
346 1.0

Surface Forms

hem and haw infinitive
hemmed and hawed past
hemmed and hawed past participle
hemming and hawing present participle
hems and haws third person singular

Morphology

hem + and + haw

Both 'hem' and 'haw' are verbs that denote inarticulate, hesitant sounds, so a learner who knows those constituent meanings can readily infer that 'hem and haw' describes making such hesitant noises instead of answering directly. The coordinated onomatopoeic structure transparently signals hesitation and is comparable to similar hesitation expressions in other languages, making the overall meaning predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Hem and haw may come from the small sounds people make when they cannot think of an answer. One popular story says the sounds hem and haw are like clearing the throat and a puzzled noise, so a person who hems and haws keeps making those noises instead of giving a clear answer. That's why it means 'to hesitate'.