# hover around

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hover-around
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to stay near a person or place because you are waiting for something or feel nervous.

For teachers: to remain in the immediate vicinity of a person, place, or numerical value, often characterized by indecision, anticipation, or slight fluctuation.

## Examples

- The waiter hovers around our table waiting for the bill.
- I noticed a few nervous parents hovering around the school gates on the first day of term.
- The company's stock price continued to hover around the fifty-dollar mark despite the recent economic downturn and negative press.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He was hovering around to the kitchen." but "He was hovering around the kitchen." — the phrase acts as a transitive unit here; do not add extra prepositions like 'to' before the location.

## Usage notes

- often implies a sense of lingering or waiting without a clear, immediate action.
- Teaching tip: highlight the physical movement of 'hovering' (like a bird or helicopter) to help students visualize the lack of a fixed landing or departure.

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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.