dither

/'diðə/
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dither

He was in a dither over which tie to wear.

Definition

  1. Noun:

    • A state of nervous agitation or indecisive excitement: "Dither" refers to a flustered, worried, or overly excited state, often characterized by hesitation or inability to make a decision.

  2. Verb:

    • To be nervously agitated or indecisive: To act in a nervously uncertain or hesitant manner, often over a minor issue.
    • To hesitate or vacillate: To be unable to decide between options; to waver.
Examples of Usage

  • Noun:

    • She was in a dither about what to wear to the important meeting.
    • The unexpected news put the whole office in a dither.

  • Verb:

    • Stop dithering and just choose a restaurant!
    • He dithered for weeks before finally accepting the job offer.
Advanced Usage

  • "To be in a dither": To be in a state of nervous excitement or agitation.

    • The team was in a dither before the championship game.

  • "To dither over something": To hesitate or be indecisive about a specific thing.

    • The committee is still dithering over the final details of the proposal.
Variants and Related Words

  • Ditherer (noun): A person who dithers; someone who is habitually indecisive.

    • He's such a ditherer; it takes him forever to make up his mind.

  • Dithery (adjective): Characterized by or prone to dithering.

    • She gave a dithery response when asked for a definitive answer.
Synonyms
  • Fuss (noun/verb): Unnecessary or nervous activity or excitement.
  • Flap (noun, informal): A state of agitation or panic.
  • Vacillate (verb): To waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive.
  • Hesitate (verb): To pause before saying or doing something, often due to uncertainty.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Dither" is not commonly used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. The advanced usages above, like "dither over," function similarly.)

Related Idioms
  • "All of a dither": In a state of great nervous excitement or agitation. (This is a common collocation with the noun form).
    • She was all of a dither when she heard the guests had arrived early.
dither

He was in a dither over which tie to wear.

Noun
  1. an excited state of agitation
    • he was in a dither
    • there was a terrible flap about the theft
Verb
  1. make a fuss; be agitated
  2. act nervously; be undecided; be uncertain

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