Definition

1. Verb:

   • To move back and forth or sway unsteadily: To move with a trembling or quivering motion, often from side to side or up and down.
   • To become unsteady or show weakness; to falter: To lose strength, determination, or certainty; to begin to fail or hesitate.
   • To feel or show indecision; to vacillate: To be unable to decide between different opinions or courses of action; to fluctuate between choices.

2. Noun:

   • An act or instance of wavering: A moment of hesitation, unsteadiness, or fluctuation.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:

  • The candle flame began to waver in the draft. (Describes an unsteady, flickering motion.)
  • Her voice wavered with emotion as she gave the speech. (Shows a trembling or unsteady quality in sound.)
  • He never wavered in his support for the project. (Means he did not become less certain or strong in his support.)
  • I'm wavering between the chocolate cake and the cheesecake. (Expresses indecision between two options.)

• Noun:

  • There was a brief waver in his confidence before he continued. (Refers to a momentary lapse in certainty.)

Advanced Usage

• "To waver on the brink of (something)": To hesitate at the point of making a critical decision or taking an action.

  • The company wavered on the brink of bankruptcy before the new investment.

• "Without a waver": Used to describe an action performed with steady, unwavering commitment or certainty.

  • She answered the difficult question without a waver in her voice.

Variants and Related Words

• Wavering (adj/n): Describes something that is unsteady, hesitant, or fluctuating.

  • His wavering commitment caused problems for the team.

• Waverer (n): A person who hesitates or is indecisive.

  • He was no waverer; once decided, he acted.

Synonyms

• Verb: Falter, hesitate, vacillate, fluctuate, sway, tremble, flicker.
• Noun: Hesitation, fluctuation, indecision, faltering.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

(Note: "Waver" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meanings are typically expressed directly.)

Related Idioms

• "To stand firm and not waver": To remain resolute and not show any hesitation or weakness.

  • Despite the pressure, she stood firm and did not waver.

• "A wavering line": Can describe both a physically unsteady drawn line or, metaphorically, an inconsistent policy or boundary.

  • The treaty established a clear border, not a wavering line on the map.

Noun

1. the act of moving back and forth
2. the act of pausing uncertainly
   • there was a hesitation in his speech
3. someone who communicates by waving

Verb

1. give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency
2. sway to and fro
3. move back and forth very rapidly
   • the candle flickered
4. move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern
   • the line on the monitor vacillated
5. move hesitatingly, as if about to give way
6. be unsure or weak
   • Their enthusiasm is faltering
7. pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
   • Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures