hover

[ huhv-er, hov- ]

/ ˈhʌv ər, ˈhɒv- /

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See synonyms for: hover / hovered / hovering on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to hang fluttering or suspended in the air: The helicopter hovered over the building.

to keep lingering about; wait near at hand.

to remain in an uncertain or irresolute state; waver: to hover between life and death.

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)

to cause to hover.

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

noun

the act or state of hovering.

OTHER WORDS FOR hover

3 falter, pause, fluctuate.

See synonyms for hover on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of hover

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

synonym study for hover

1. See fly².

OTHER WORDS FROM hover

hov·er·er, nounhov·er·ing·ly, adverb

Words nearby hover

Hovawart, hove, hovea, hovel, hoven, hover, hovercraft, hover fly, hovering accent, hovering act, hovering vessel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hover in a sentence

It was taking all my concentration just to try to hold a stable hover, basically, and safely put the swimmer down.
Stay calm under pressure with lessons learned in the world’s most stressful careers|Rob Verger|January 8, 2021|Popular-Science
Google opens those issues in a hover over window on the right of the page.
Bing’s new URL Inspection tool: What it does and why to use it|Barry Schwartz|July 30, 2020|Search Engine Land
Special suits allow you and your team to hover over gaps and jump to superhuman heights.
Kevin Spacey Stars as a Frank Underwood-like Warmonger in ‘Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’|Alec Kubas-Meyer|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He also repeatedly tied her to President Obama, whose approval ratings in the state hover in the 30s.
Nunn-Perdue: The Devil Went Down to Perry, Georgia|Patricia Murphy|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

INTERACTIVE: Hover over markers for more from each range on their age and firearm restrictions for children.
Where Kids as Young as 5 Learn to Shoot Automatic Weapons|Brandy Zadrozny|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not to mention the untold number of families who hover just one medical crisis or job loss away from financial ruin.
Is There a Ma Joad for the Piketty Era?|Katie Baker|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His approval ratings, improbably, hover around the 40 percent mark.
How Rob Ford Could Win Reelection|Ivor Tossell|January 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They 'ung 'im in the lamp chains right hover the dinin' table, and then finished the dessert.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
They were all glad to hover around the blaze, now and then; and especially so when they ate their luncheons.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison
Sometimes the Time Observatory would pinpoint an age and hover over it while his companions took painstaking historical notes.
The Man from Time|Frank Belknap Long
As your guests will come dropping in at all hours, you must hover near the door to greet each one entering.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
Ourrias is carried to the bottom of the river by the goblins and spirits that come out and hover over it at night.
Frdric Mistral|Charles Alfred Downer

British Dictionary definitions for hover

hover

/ (ˈhɒvə) /

verb

(intr) to remain suspended in one place

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

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

(intr) to be in a state of indecisionshe was hovering between the two suitors

(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

noun

the act of hovering

Derived forms of hover

hoverer, nounhoveringly, adverb

Word Origin for hover

C14: hoveren, variant of hoven, of obscure 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

hover

OTHER WORDS FOR hover

Origin of hover

synonym study for hover

OTHER WORDS FROM hover

Words nearby hover

Words related to hover

How to use hover in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hover

Derived forms of hover

Word Origin for hover