# hum and haw

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hum-and-haw
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To procrastinate; to take a long time before doing something or taking a decision.

## Examples

- Stop humming and hawing and just make a choice.
- The committee spent hours humming and hawing over the budget instead of approving the project.
- Despite the urgency of the situation, the board continued to hum and haw, effectively stalling any meaningful progress until the deadline had passed.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.