waver

[ wey-ver ]

/ ˈweɪ vər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR waver ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to sway to and fro; flutter: Foliage wavers in the breeze.

to flicker or quiver, as light: A distant beam wavered and then disappeared.

become unsteady; begin to fail or give way: When she heard the news her courage wavered.

to shake or tremble, as the hands or voice: Her voice wavered.

to feel or show doubt, indecision, etc.; vacillate: He wavered in his determination.

(of things) to fluctuate or vary: Prices wavered.

to totter or reel: The earth quaked and the tower wavered.

noun

an act of wavering, fluttering, or vacillating.

Origin of waver

1275–1325; Middle English (see wave, -er⁶); cognate with dialectal German wabern to move about, Old Norse vafra to toddle

SYNONYMS FOR waver

4 quiver.

5 Waver, fluctuate, vacillate refer to an alternation or hesitation between one direction and another. Waver means to hesitate between choices: to waver between two courses of action. Fluctuate suggests irregular change from one side to the other or up and down: The prices of stocks fluctuate when there is bad news followed by good. Vacillate is to make up one's mind and change it again suddenly; to be undecided as to what to do: We must not vacillate but must set a day.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR waver ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM waver

wa·ver·er, noun wa·ver·ing·ly, adverb non·wa·ver·ing, adjective un·wa·vered, adjective

un·wa·ver·ing, adjective un·wa·ver·ing·ly, adverb

Words nearby waver

wavelet, wavell, wavellite, wavemeter, waveoff, waver, waverley, waves, wavey, wavy, waw

Example sentences from the Web for wavering

But he should not be judged by his wavering as a presidential candidate.

Mario Cuomo, a Frustrating Hero to Democrats, Is Dead at 82 |Eleanor Clift |January 2, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
A wavering, but canny Wehrmacht General Dietrich von Choltitz finally surrendered it on August 25.

Who Liberated Paris in August 1944? | |August 24, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Yet thanks to recent scandals, that acceptance of the adult industry seems to be wavering.

Too Hot for Google: Why The Internet Giant Is Scared of Porn |Aurora Snow |July 12, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
If nothing else, these findings suggest a wavering of faith in free markets.

Obama Pits Republicans Against the Work Ethic |John Stoehr |February 3, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Not the bungled Obamacare rollout, the wavering red line in Syria, NSA surveillance scandal, or IRS controversy?

After a Lousy Year, How Obama Can Turn His Presidency Around |Ron Christie |December 26, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
They were greeted with a wavering shout—which immediately died away.

Lilith |George MacDonald
There was a crystal jug filled with cold water and sunshine, and it threw a wavering light on the damask.

The Sea and the Jungle |H. M. Tomlinson
But it was an appeal to the wavering minds in the North, and upon them it made a profound impression.

The Papers And Writings Of Abraham Lincoln, Volume One |Abraham Lincoln
The long heavy ends whirled in opposite directions and wrapped themselves tightly about her wavering bonnet.

New Chronicles of Rebecca |Kate Douglas Wiggin
It was commonly reported that the Committee was wavering, and that the Constitution would turn towards monarchy.

Lectures on the French Revolution |John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton

British Dictionary definitions for wavering

waver

/ (ˈweɪvə) /

verb (intr)

to be irresolute; hesitate between two possibilities

to become unsteady

to fluctuate or vary

to move back and forth or one way and another

(of light) to flicker or flash

noun

the act or an instance of wavering

Derived forms of waver

waverer, noun wavering, adjective waveringly, adverb

Word Origin for waver

C14: from Old Norse vafra to flicker; related to German wabern to move about

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

waver

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of waver

SYNONYMS FOR waver

OTHER WORDS FROM waver

Words nearby waver

Example sentences from the Web for wavering

British Dictionary definitions for wavering

verb (intr)

noun

Derived forms of waver

Word Origin for waver

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

waver

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of waver

SYNONYMS FOR waver

OTHER WORDS FROM waver

Words nearby waver

Words related to wavering

Example sentences from the Web for wavering

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for wavering

verb (intr)

noun

Derived forms of waver

Word Origin for waver

British Dictionary definitions for wavering