Indecisive

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌɪndɪˈsaɪsɪv/

Definitions

1. Unable to make choices quickly or firmly, often wavering between different options or courses of action
2. Characterized by a persistent uncertainty in choosing between alternatives, resulting in hesitation and fluctuating opinions about which path to pursue
3. Struggling to reach firm decisions due to uncertainty, which leads to continuous hesitation and a lack of commitment to any particular choice or option

Etymology: "Indecisive" is a plain English compound: the prefix "in-", meaning "not," attached to "decisive." The prefix comes from Proto-Indo-European "*né," the old negative particle, and it passed into Latin as "in-" and then into Middle English, where it was already a productive way to make negative words. Its sense is simply "not." "Decisive" is the part worth a closer look. It comes from the Latin "decisivus," built on "decidere," "to cut off" or "to decide," which combines "de-" (off, away) with "caedere" (to cut). So a decision was originally a cutting-off of options, a sense still visible in the metaphor of cutting through doubt. Because the parts are so transparent, "indecisive" carries no surprises of its own: it is literally "not cutting off," which is exactly how it is used, for someone who cannot cut through the alternatives and choose.

Synonyms: hesitant, uncertain, undecided, wavering, vacillating

Antonyms: decisive, certain, determined, resolute, conclusive