waffle

¹ American  

[wof-uhl] / ˈwɒf əl /

noun

1. a batter cake with a pattern of deep indentations on each side, formed by the gridlike design on each of the two hinged parts of the metal appliance waffle iron in which the cake is baked.

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adjective

1. Also waffled. having a gridlike or indented lattice shape or design.

   a waffle pattern.

waffle ² American  

[wof-uhl] / ˈwɒf əl /

verb (used without object)

waffled, waffling

1. to speak or write equivocally.

   to waffle on an important issue.

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verb (used with object)

waffled, waffling

1. to speak or write equivocally about.

   to waffle a campaign promise.

noun

1. waffling language.

waffle ³ American  

[wof-uhl] / ˈwɒf əl /

verb (used without object)

British.

waffled, waffling

1. to talk foolishly or without purpose; idle away time talking.

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waffle ¹ British  

/ ˈwɒfəl /

noun

1. 1. a crisp golden-brown pancake with deep indentations on both sides

   2. ( as modifier )

      waffle iron

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waffle ² British  

/ ˈwɒfəl /

verb

1. to speak or write in a vague and wordy manner

   he waffled on for hours

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noun

1. vague and wordy speech or writing

Other Word Forms

• waffler
  noun
• waffling
  adjective
• waffly
  adjective
• wafflingly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of waffle¹

First recorded in 1735–45; from Dutch wafel; see also wafer ( def. )

Origin of waffle²

First recorded in 1890–95; originally dialect ( Scots, Northern England): “to wave about, flutter, waver, be hesitant”; probably waff + -le

Origin of waffle³

First recorded in 1865–70; originally dialect (Northern England); apparently waff “to bark, yelp” (imitative of the sound) + -le

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Explanation

You might think of a waffle as a grid-patterned pancake-like food that's tasty with syrup, and you'd be right. But the word is also a verb that means to avoid making a definitive decision. The verb waffle seems to have its origins in the 1690s as the word waff, "to yelp," possibly in imitation of the yelping of dogs. The word soon came to mean "to talk foolishly" and then eventually "to vacillate, to change." The food term waffle, as part of "waffle iron," appeared in 1794, a descendant of the Dutch word wafel, which comes from the same Germanic source as weave: it's easy to see the waffle pattern as similar to a woven fabric.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

waffle waffled waffling

No fog lights grace the front lower corners; the molded blanks in the lower grille look like waffle irons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Be honest with yourself: Are you really going to use the dusty waffle maker in your kitchen cabinet?

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 23, 2026

I don’t eat that great, but if you’re ever gonna eat bad, Sunday is the day to do it, so you gotta get the waffle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025

"I've never heard so much waffle," Hearn replied.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2025

My coffee and waffle arrive all at once.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

He threw out defeatism and acted when everyone else waffled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026

Sauer waffled, prompting Justice Sonia Sotomayor to leap in and tell him: “Could you just answer the justice’s question?”

From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2025

While Dolan’s office said New York was “blessed with the greatest bagel stores in the world,” the cardinal waffled on announcing from which establishment he would be buying the goods.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2024

But the Houthis, fearing an inspection might be a prelude to taking the oil, waffled.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2023

I sat up and rubbed the waffled pattern the sofa cushion had left on my cheek.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

But the new uncertainty arrives at a precarious moment, with Wall Street projecting above-target inflation in the months ahead and increasingly waffling over whether the cost of the AI boom will pay off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

But Mike Bonin, a progressive former council member, said that what others see as waffling is really a politician willing to change her positions.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026

It’s important to precisely define and label this market shift—how else can I claim to have seen it coming all along, while waffling about what happens next?

From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026

But this constant tonal waffling results in an audience that sees something strange and laughs because they’ve been trained by filmmakers to think that, when something is uncomfortable, laughter is the appropriate response.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2025

After waffling over it late into the night, I fall asleep, still undecided.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

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Related Words

• flip-flop
• vacillate

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