waver

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈweɪvɚ/ UK /ˈweɪvə/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to be unsteady or undecided; to falter

Her voice began to waver as she recalled the loss.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to be unsteady or... falter hesitate vacillate wobble fluctuate dither totter oscillate

Opposites

steady resolve persiststand firm

Word family

Forms waverers

Derived forms wavererwaveringwaveringly

Related forms wave wavy

Simplified etymology

Waver entered English in the Middle English period and is related to wave and wobble, with its ancestry traced to Old Norse.

Etymology

From Middle English waveren ('to wander, fluctuate'), a frequentative formed on the base of wave (Old English wafian 'to wave the hands'), of Germanic origin.

waveren Middle English wafian Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# waver

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈweɪvɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈweɪvə/

## Meanings
1. to be unsteady or undecided; to falter

## Examples
- Her voice began to waver as she recalled the loss.

## Synonyms
- falter
- hesitate
- vacillate
- wobble
- fluctuate
- dither
- totter
- oscillate

## Antonyms
- steady
- resolve
- persist
- stand firm

## Derived Forms
- waverer
- wavering
- waveringly

## Related Forms
- wave
- wavy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: waveren
- Root: wafian

## Etymology
From Middle English waveren ('to wander, fluctuate'), a frequentative formed on the base of wave (Old English wafian 'to wave the hands'), of Germanic origin.

## AI Etymology
Waver comes from Middle English waveren ('to wander, fluctuate'), a frequentative formed on the base of wave (Old English wafian 'to wave the hands'), of Germanic origin. The historical trail runs through Middle English waveren and Old English wafian. In modern use it means to be unsteady or undecided; to falter. Derived formations include waverer, wavering, waveringly; related forms include wave, wavy.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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