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indecisive

American  
[in-di-sahy-siv] / ˌɪn dɪˈsaɪ sɪv /

adjective

  1. characterized by indecision, as persons; irresolute; undecided.

    Synonyms:
    hesitant, vacillating

  2. not decisive or conclusive.

    a severe but indecisive battle.

  3. lacking definition; vague or indistinct.

    the indecisive outline of the distant hills.
indecisive British  
/ ˌɪndɪˈsaɪsɪv /

adjective

  1. (of a person) vacillating; irresolute

  2. not decisive or conclusive

"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

Other Word Forms

  • indecision noun
  • indecisively adverb
  • indecisiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of indecisive

First recorded in 1720–30; in- 3 + decisive

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.

Germany proved indecisive, and Poland, while mobilizing, didn’t send troops across the border into Lithuania.

From The Wall Street Journal

I don’t want to be weak or indecisive.

From Literature

Could this be the most indecisive bunch of faithfuls in Traitors history?

From BBC

I found it too scattered, indecisive and overreliant on its comedic moments.

From Salon

When that was over, the distributor was indecisive about when would be the best time to release a very small independent film.

From Los Angeles Times

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.