Word
waver
Phoneticswa·ver, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈweɪvɝ/
UK/wˈeɪvɐ/
Definition
v. to become weak or lose confidence in a decision. You use this when someone cannot decide between two choices or starts to doubt their plan.
v. to exhibit indecision or vacillate between different opinions or courses of action; to flicker or become unsteady. Often describes a physical movement or a psychological state of doubt.
Examples
“She did not waver in her decision to quit.”
“Despite the heavy criticism from the press, the prime minister refused to waver on the new tax policy.”
“As the deadline approached, his resolve began to waver, and he found himself reconsidering the very terms he had previously deemed non-negotiable.”
Examples
simple
“She did not waver in her decision to quit.”
contextual
“Despite the heavy criticism from the press, the prime minister refused to waver on the new tax policy.”
complex
“As the deadline approached, his resolve began to waver, and he found himself reconsidering the very terms he had previously deemed non-negotiable.”
Usage
The verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object; often followed by 'between' or 'on'.
Pitfall
he wavered his hand
he waved his hand
Learners often confuse 'waver' (to hesitate or flicker) with 'wave' (to move the hand to say hello).
Real-World Examples
“Over generations, the majority of union members have sided with Democratic candidates , even if that support has wavered since the 1970s .” “At the age of four, she told her preschool teacher she would be a doctor one day, and she never wavered from that plan.” Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English waveren (“to move back and forth, swing; to move unsteadily, totter; to shake, tremble; to wander; (figurative) to be changeable or unstable; to deviate”), and then possibly: from Old English (compare Old English wǣfre (“flickering, quivering, wavering; active, nimble (?)”)), related to Old English wafian (“to wave”) from Proto-West Germanic wabbjan (“to cause to weave; to entangle; to wrap”), from Proto-Germanic *wabjaną (“to cause to weave; to entangle; to wrap”); and/or * from Old Norse vafra (“to move unsteadily, flicker”), probably related to vefa (“to weave”); both from Proto-Germanic webaną (“to weave”), from Proto-Indo-European webʰ- (“to braid, weave”). Doublet of wave. The noun is derived from the verb.
From wave (verb) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns).
Origin uncertain, possibly from waive (“(obsolete) to disregard, overlook”). According to the Oxford English Dictionary the early forms waiver, wayver, weaver indicate that the word is probably not derived from wave (verb).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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