Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

hover

American  
[huhv-er, hov-] / ˈhʌv ər, ˈhɒv- /

verb (used without object)

  1. to hang fluttering or suspended in the air.

    The helicopter hovered over the building.

  2. to keep lingering about; wait near at hand.

  3. to remain in an uncertain or irresolute state; waver.

    to hover between life and death.

    Synonyms:
    fluctuate, pause, falter
  4. Computers. to place a pointer over an area of a screen without clicking or tapping, as with a mouse or stylus.

    Hover over the icon to reveal more information.


verb (used with object)

  1. to cause to hover.

  2. Computers. to place (a pointer) over an area of a screen without clicking or tapping.

noun

  1. the act or state of hovering.

hover British  
/ ˈhɒvə /

verb

  1. (intr) to remain suspended in one place

  2. (intr) (of certain birds, esp hawks) to remain in one place in the air by rapidly beating the wings

  3. (intr) to linger uncertainly in a nervous or solicitous way

  4. (intr) to be in a state of indecision

    she was hovering between the two suitors

  5. (tr) computing to hold (the mouse pointer) over a defined area on a web page without clicking, in order to cause a menu, information box, etc to appear

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act of hovering

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See fly 2 .

Other Word Forms

  • hoverer noun
  • hoveringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of hover

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English hoveren, frequentative of hoven “to hover,” of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Tourism, once one of the island’s economic pillars, has plummeted, with hotel occupancy hovering below 30%, according to industry executives.

From The Wall Street Journal

These productivity gains, coupled with an unemployment rate hovering at 4.6%, signal that companies are becoming leaner.

From MarketWatch

The figure was hovering around 100 billion barrels for years, doubled to 200 billion in 2011 and then jumped to 300 billion in 2013, according to data from the U.S.

From Barron's

With oil prices hovering around $50-$60 per barrel, producers are unlikely to commit significant capital to materially change global supply in the near term, Sachdeva says.

From The Wall Street Journal

"I was sort of there, hovering," is his summation of his involvement.

From BBC