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Glite Dictionary
to waver in

to waver in

3 6.6
To feel unsure about making a decision or taking action
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈweɪvər ɪn/
translation icon : vacilar en
  • It's very important not to let your self-confidence waver in such situations.
  • waver in their commitment
  • never wavered in

And city Manager Mary Soon never wavered in her support for me during that time.

Examples

  • And city Manager Mary Soon never wavered in her support for me during that time.

    Dr. Phil

  • We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act.

    Blog text (31)

  • And I will not waver in standing by our ally Israel.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Nevertheless, we must not waver in our commitment to scientific research and development.

    Chain Reaction (1996)

  • My dear, you must not waver in your resolve.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Parent-Lane would be a challenging one, and in all these years, she never wavered in her support.

    Blog text (6)

  • Yet he refused to waver in his insistence that the flag design must be changed.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Despite facing many challenges, she did not waver in her decision to pursue her dream career.

  • He began to waver in his choice of which college to attend after visiting several campuses.

  • As the deadline approached, the team started to waver in their confidence about finishing the project on time.

Synonyms

to hesitate
vsto waver in
318 2.5

To pause before saying or doing something because you feel unsure

covers the same doubt but often applies to decisions rather than brief pauses
to waver
vsto waver in
52 5.7

To show doubt when making a decision

is the same meaning focused on hesitation about decisions or actions
to hover
vsto waver in
37 5.4

To be unable to decide between different options in your mind

focuses on hesitation about action or decision rather than just indecision
to vacillate
vsto waver in
8 8.1

To be unable to decide and keep changing between choices

expresses the same uncertainty but without stressing repeated alternation
to dither
vsto waver in
8 7.7

To act nervously and be unable to decide quickly

describes similar uncertainty but without the nervous or flustered tone
to oscillate
vsto waver in
3 7.4

Change repeatedly between different opinions or choices

means hesitant uncertainty but usually without continual back and forth
to dither over
vsto waver in
1 7.9

To hesitate before deciding, often about small things

covers hesitation generally, not limited to trivial choices
to shilly-shally
vsto waver in
  • Informal
1 9.9

To hesitate before making a decision

focuses on uncertainty itself rather than the delaying behaviour
to shillyshally
vsto waver in
  • Informal
9.9

Hesitate instead of deciding or acting quickly

expresses uncertainty but does not necessarily imply deliberate delay
to stand shilly-shally
vsto waver in
  • Archaic
9.9

To be unsure and not decide

is similar but centers on doubt about taking a chosen course

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
8 7.7
to waver in
3 6.6
to hesitate
318 2.5

Surface Forms

waver in infinitive
wavered in past
wavered in past participle
wavering in present participle
wavers in third person singular

Morphology

waver + in

The core meaning comes directly from 'waver' (to hesitate) with 'in' simply marking the domain of that hesitation (e.g. in a decision), so the phrase's meaning is compositional. This verb + preposition pattern is a common and predictable English construction, so a learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb waver in comes from a simple image: the verb waver means to move slightly back and forth and in shows moving toward something, so imagine a person at a doorway who almost steps in but stops. So, to waver in means 'to hesitate' or show doubt about going forward.