hover

/'hɔvə/

Thân thiện

A hummingbird hovers near a bright red flower.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To remain suspended in the air without moving in any direction: To stay in one place in the air, often by rapidly moving wings or using mechanical means like a helicopter.
   • To linger or wait close by in an uncertain or hesitant manner: To stay near a place or person, often without a clear purpose or decision.
   • To be in a state of uncertainty or indecision: To waver between different choices, opinions, or states.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • The helicopter can hover over the landing pad.
  • A sense of dread seemed to hover in the air.
  • She hovered near the door, unsure whether to enter or leave.
  • He continued to hover between accepting the job offer and turning it down.

Advanced Usage

• "to hover on the brink/verge of (something)": to be very close to being in a particular state, especially a dangerous or extreme one.
  • The country's economy was hovering on the verge of collapse.
• "to hover around (a number or level)": to remain at or near a particular amount or level.
  • Temperatures are expected to hover around 30 degrees this week.

Variants and Related Words

• Hovercraft (n): a vehicle that travels over land or water on a cushion of air.
• Hovering (adj/n): the act or state of remaining suspended in the air. ()

Synonyms

• Float: to rest or move on the surface of a liquid or in the air.
• Linger: to stay in a place longer than necessary.
• Waver: to be indecisive or unsteady.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Hover over:
  • To remain suspended in the air above something.

    • The rescue helicopter hovered over the stranded hikers.
  • To be a threatening or imminent presence.

    • The threat of layoffs has been hovering over the department for months.

Related Idioms

• Hover between life and death: to be in a critical medical condition where survival is uncertain.
  • After the accident, he hovered between life and death for three days.

Học thuật

Verb

1. hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing
   • The terrible vision brooded over her all day long
2. be suspended in the air, as if in defiance of gravity
   • The guru claimed that he could levitate
3. hang in the air; fly or be suspended above
4. move to and fro
   • The shy student lingered in the corner
5. be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
   • He oscillates between accepting the new position and retirement

Từ đồng nghĩa

• brood
• loom
• bulk large
• levitate
• linger
• vibrate
• vacillate
• oscillate