Wavering

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A lack of firmness in choices or beliefs occurs when one displays oscillation in sentiments or actions, reflecting indecision or uncertainty in their position
2. Exhibiting uncertainty or a failure to make a firm decision
3. Demonstrating a tendency to hesitate or be unsettled in thought or action

Etymology: "Wavering" is simply "waver" with the suffix "-ing" attached, and the suffix has a long pedigree of its own. The "-ing" ending descends from Proto-Germanic "-ungō" through Old English "-ung" and Middle English "-ynge," gradually wearing down to the form we use today. Its job is to turn a verb into a noun or adjective describing the action or state, so "wavering" describes someone or something in the condition of waving back and forth between options. The base verb "waver" has a different and more physical history. It is the older of the two in the verb's sense of moving to and fro, a sense that connects to the image of something swaying, like a flag or a flame. The shift from swaying motion to swaying opinion is a natural metaphor: a mind that moves back and forth between choices is behaving like a body that sways. Over centuries, the figurative sense of hesitation became the dominant one.

Synonyms: hesitating, fluctuating, vacillating, oscillating, uncertain

Antonyms: resolute, steady, certain, decisive, unwavering