🤔 Uncertain or hesitant 🤔 Indecision

wavering

6 5.3

Hesitating and unsure about a decision or action

adjective
/ˈweɪvərɪŋ/

: vacilante

The committee's wavering stance on the proposal led to confusion among the members.

It's like family caste system, three big categories, warrior, wavering and hostile.

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Examples

She stood at the crossroads, wavering between the two paths before her.
(WAVERING SCOFFS)

Rough Night (2017)
You guys are probably wavering between these two quite a bit.
So it's going, it's wavering in this one.
It's like family caste system, three big categories, warrior, wavering and hostile.

Lex Fridman
And so this continuity, this consistency, this never wavering, never deviating from the strategy, it's tiring, it's exhausting.
The league constructed all women, but especially nonemployed and rural women, as "hesitant and wavering," easily manipulated by others, not devoted to socialism, and therefore in need of ideological instruction.

Academic text (2005)
His wavering voice revealed his uncertainty about the decision he had to make.

Synonyms

hesitant

vswavering

72 3.2

Slow to act or speak because you feel unsure

focuses on unclear purpose and lack of steady intent rather than only slowness

shaky

vswavering

51 2.1

Not steady and trembling, often from fear, cold, or tiredness

refers to hesitant or indecisive purpose rather than physical shakiness

uncertain

vswavering

41 3.9

Not feeling sure or confident

concerns hesitating purpose or action rather than personal low confidence

indecisive

vswavering

18 4.3

Slow to choose and unsure about what to do

is wider, covering hesitation in purpose beyond decision speed

doubtful

vswavering

14 3.0

Not sure about something and not ready to believe it

describes unsure purpose and unstable intent rather than mere doubt

wishy-washy

vswavering

Informal

13 7.3

Not firm or brave when making decisions

is neutral in tone, describing uncertain purpose without the insult of weakness

halting

vswavering

7 6.1

Slow and hesitant way of speaking or moving because of doubt

is about unstable purpose and lack of firm intent rather than physical slowness

vacillating

vswavering

1 8.1

Not able to make a firm decision and often changing their mind

is steadier in meaning, focusing on general indecision rather than quick shifts

irresolute

vswavering

1 8.2

Not able to make clear decisions quickly

is more general, describing unsure purpose and lack of steadiness

hesitating

vswavering

1 3.4

Slow to speak or act because unsure what to do

highlights uncertain purpose and lack of firmness rather than pause alone

wavery

vswavering

1 7.3

Not firm in what someone says and does

emphasizes broader uncertain purpose and general lack of steadiness

vacillant

vswavering

Archaic

9.9

Feeling unsure and unable to make a clear choice

relates more to a steady lack of firmness than rapid alternation

Antonyms

decisive

39 3.7

Able to choose quickly and firmly

How Uncertain

indecisive

18 4.3

wavering

6 5.3

hesitant

72 3.2

doubtful

14 3.0

unsure

99 1.5

Surface Forms

wavering positive

Morphology

wavering = waver (transparent) = waver + ing

Adjectival participle formed directly from the verb 'waver' with the productive suffix '-ing', so the meaning 'hesitant or unsteady' is predictable.

Etymology

Wavering comes from the verb waver, which is related to wave and originally meant 'to move back and forth' like water. So wavering describes someone or something that is not steady or is unsure.