dither

[ dith-er ]

/ ˈdɪð ər /

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See synonyms for: dither / dithered / dithering / dithers on Thesaurus.com

noun

a trembling; vibration.

a state of flustered excitement or fear.

verb (used without object)

to act irresolutely; vacillate.

North England. to tremble with excitement or fear.

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON OPPOSITES OF RED BEFORE YOU TURN SCARLET

We have a challenge that will make you blush: do you know the many words and ways to describe the opposite of red?

Question 1 of 7

Which of the following colors is used to symbolize AIR?

white

green

red

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Origin of dither

1640–50; variant of didder (late Middle English diddere); cf. dodder¹

OTHER WORDS FROM dither

dith·er·er, noundith·er·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use dither in a sentence

Despite a dithering Congress and a disdainful American public, the diplomatic doors opened.
Suddenly, Great Expectations for Iran-U.S. Relations|Christopher Dickey|September 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“We already have seen dithering in the immediate wake of the attack on the U.S. consulate,” says a European diplomat.
Libya Sacks Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur|Jamie Dettmer|October 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Such verbiage and dithering in the face of market mayhem helped Europe get into its mess in the first place.
Debt Crisis Lessons for Europe|Stefan Theil|August 19, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Fourth, Gordon Brown is a dour, dithering, dry, dislikeable loser.
10 Truths About the British Vote|Tunku Varadarajan|May 5, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Peter Beinart on why the left needs to stop the linguistic dithering—and win the only battle that can vanquish al Qaeda.
Cheney Was Right|Peter Beinart|January 3, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Presently he came running out of the scullery, with the soapy water dripping from him, dithering with cold.
Sons and Lovers|David Herbert Lawrence
Another fellow walking in his sleep and killing criss-cross Huns in his dithering dreams.
Air Men o' War|Boyd Cable
I was beginning to correct my first impression that Thrombley was a complete dithering fool.
Lone Star Planet|Henry Beam Piper and John Joseph McGuire
He nodded to his dithering worship, and marched back slowly and calmly to his dinner.
The Yeoman Adventurer|George W. Gough
Tom stood watching the ambulance whisk Murell off, dithering in indecision.
Four-Day Planet|Henry Beam Piper

British Dictionary definitions for dither

dither

/ (ˈdɪðə) /

verb (intr)

mainly British to be uncertain or indecisive

mainly US to be in an agitated state

to tremble, as with cold

noun

mainly British a state of indecision

a state of agitation

Derived forms of dither

ditherer, noundithery, adjective

Word Origin for dither

C17: variant of C14 (northern English dialect) didder, of uncertain origin

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

dither

Origin of dither

OTHER WORDS FROM dither

Words related to dither

How to use dither in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dither

Derived forms of dither

Word Origin for dither