hover

[ huhv-er, hov- ]

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.

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 for hover

3	falter, pause, fluctuate

See synonyms for hover on Thesaurus.com

Other words from hover

hov·er·er, noun
hov·er·ing·ly, adverb

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

How to use hover in a sentence

When Brecht penned these lines, his continent hovered on the precipice of a journey into hell.
Brecht's Mercenary Mother Courage Turns 75 | Katie Baker | September 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Blown-out walls of homes left destroyed living rooms exposed to the street, and the smell of explosives hovered in the air.
Fleeing Israeli Troops, Gaza Muslims Find Refuge in a Christian Church | Jesse Rosenfeld | July 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Before the Concordia came to town, the local population hovered somewhere between 600 and 900 during the winter months.
Saying Goodbye to the Salvage Saviors of Giglio | Barbie Latza Nadeau | July 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Two consecutive declines have taken it from 38 percent in 2010—where it has hovered for decades—to 31 percent today.
What’s Driving America’s Evolution Divide? | Karl W. Giberson | June 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The economy added jobs steadily through the first quarter, and the stock market hovered around record highs.
The U.S. Economy Had a Hiccup, Not a Heart Attack, This Year | Daniel Gross | May 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

But in the matter of that wine—the faintest of smiles hovered on her lips, her eyebrows went up a shade.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
The belated moon stole up from its lair, hovered above the sky-line, a gaudy orange sphere in the haze of smoke.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair
During two days smoke hovered around the neighbourhood, and the appearance of Manila from the bay was that of a smouldering city.
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
The latter glanced at her sidewise and a shrewd little smile hovered about her lips for a moment, which Jess did not observe.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage | Gertrude W. Morrison
Towards the end of the march, the English hung upon the Scots, but 'hovered still about them and did nothing.'
King Robert the Bruce | A. F. Murison

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 indecision: she 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

Origin of hover

C14: hoveren, variant of hoven, of obscure origin

Derived forms of hover

hoverer, noun
hoveringly, adverb

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

Browse