temporizer
/'tempəraizə/
Definition
Noun: A person who deliberately delays making a decision or taking action, typically by being evasive or vague, in order to gain time or wait for a more favorable opportunity. A temporizer avoids committing to a definite course of action.
Examples
- The manager was known as a temporizer, always asking for more reports instead of making the difficult choice.
- In the crisis, we needed a leader, but we got a temporizer who kept postponing the meeting.
- His reputation as a temporizer frustrated his colleagues, who wanted clear answers.
Advanced Usage
- Political Context: Often used to describe politicians or diplomats who avoid taking a firm stand on controversial issues to avoid alienating any group.
- The senator was accused of being a temporizer who shifted his position based on the latest polls.
- Strategic Delay: Can imply a cunning or prudent strategy of waiting for circumstances to change.
- Some historians view him not as weak but as a shrewd temporizer who waited for his enemies to make the first mistake.
Variants and Related Words
- Temporize (verb): To act evasively in order to gain time or delay a decision.
- He chose to temporize rather than give a direct refusal.
- Temporizing (adjective/noun): Describing or related to the act of delaying.
- Her temporizing answer left everyone uncertain.
Synonyms
- Procrastinator: Someone who habitually puts things off.
- Hedger: Someone who avoids making a clear statement.
- Delayer: Someone who causes a postponement.
- Vacillator: Someone who wavers between different opinions or actions.
Antonyms
- Decisive person
- Go-getter
- Man/Woman of action
Related Idioms and Phrases
- To play for time: To act in a way that causes delay, similar to the behavior of a temporizer.
- He didn't know the answer, so he asked complex questions to play for time.
- To sit on the fence: To avoid making a decision or choosing a side.
- The councilor was criticized for sitting on the fence during the crucial debate.
Noun
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someone who temporizes; someone who tries to gain time or who waits for a favorable time
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