waver

UK: /ˈweɪvə^r/ US: /ˈweɪvɚ/ ,(wā′vər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

wa•ver¹ /ˈweɪvɚ/   v. [no object]

1. to sway to and fro;
   flutter:
   The leaves wavered in the breeze.
2. to flicker or quiver, as light:
   A distant beam wavered in the darkness and then disappeared.
3. to be unsteady;
   begin to fail or give way;
   falter:
   When she heard the news of the defeat her courage wavered.
4. to tremble, as the voice:
   His voice wavered a bit.
5. to feel or show doubt or indecision:
   He wavered in his loyalty.
6. (of things) to fluctuate or vary:
   Prices wavered.

n. [countable]

7. an act of wavering.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

wa•ver¹  (wā′vər), v.i. 

1. to sway to and fro;
   flutter:
   Foliage wavers in the breeze.
2. to flicker or quiver, as light:
   A distant beam wavered and then disappeared.
3. become unsteady;
   begin to fail or give way:
   When she heard the news her courage wavered.
4. to shake or tremble, as the hands or voice:
   Her voice wavered.
5. to feel or show doubt, indecision, etc.;
   vacillate:
   He wavered in his determination.
6. (of things) to fluctuate or vary:
   Prices wavered.
7. to totter or reel:
   The earth quaked and the tower wavered.

n. 

8. an act of wavering, fluttering, or vacillating.

• 1275–1325; Middle English (see wave, -er⁶); cognate with dialect, dialectal German wabern to move about, Old Norse vafra to toddle

wa′ver•er, n. 
wa′ver•ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 4. quiver.
• 5. Waver, fluctuate, vacillate refer to an alternation or hesitation between one direction and another.
  Waver means to hesitate between choices:
  to waver between two courses of action.
  Fluctuate suggests irregular change from one side to the other or up and down:
  The prices of stocks fluctuate when there is bad news followed by good.
  Vacillate is to make up one's mind and change it again suddenly; to be undecided as to what to do:
  We must not vacillate but must set a day.

wav•er²  (wā′vər), n. 

1. a person who waves or causes something to wave:
   Election time brings out the wavers of flags and haranguers of mobs.
2. a person who specializes in waving hair.
3. something, as a curling iron, used for waving hair.

• wave + -er¹ 1550–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

waver / ˈweɪvə/ verb (intransitive)

1. to be irresolute; hesitate between two possibilities
2. to become unsteady
3. to fluctuate or vary
4. to move back and forth or one way and another
5. (of light) to flicker or flash

noun

1. the act or an instance of wavering

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old Norse vafra to flicker; related to German wabern to move about

ˈwaverer noun

ˈwavering adjective

ˈwaveringly adverb