dither
Americannoun
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a trembling; vibration.
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a state of flustered excitement or fear.
verb (used without object)
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to act irresolutely; vacillate.
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North England. to tremble with excitement or fear.
verb
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to be uncertain or indecisive
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to be in an agitated state
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to tremble, as with cold
noun
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a state of indecision
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a state of agitation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dither
1640–50; variant of didder ( late Middle English diddere ); cf. dodder 1
Explanation
When you dither, you're flustered because you can't make up your mind about something. You might dither about what to do if your two best friends invite you to parties on the same night. The verb dither implies not only that you're having a hard time deciding about something, but that you're upset or agitated about it. You might say to your friend, "Don't just pace around and dither about what to wear! We're going to be late!" In the 17th century, dither meant "quake or tremble," and by the early 1800s it came to mean both "vacillate" and "be anxious."
Vocabulary lists containing dither
"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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Eats, Shoots & Leaves
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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.
And while Hamlet may dither in seeking revenge for his father’s murder, we don’t hope that the scheming Claudius gets away with it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026
"For too long, the North has been held back by underinvestment and years of dither and delay," Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.
From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026
The housing ministry said it had been taking "tough and decisive action after years of dither and delay" which would speed up the "unacceptably slow" pace of work.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2025
“Dither, dither, dither,” said one insider involved in the discussions.
From BBC • Nov. 16, 2024
She had worked herself up into a real dither.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
