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

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

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

Anthropic is one frontier operator that gives its model permission to waffle on the sentience question, calling it uncertain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

"I was listening to the chairman last week and it was the usual waffle that we get from the Celtic boardroom," John Dykes said on the Scottish Football Podcast.

From BBC ● May 6, 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 usually get a skillet or an omelet, then combine that with a waffle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025

There went my chance at a free waffle.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

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

Then, the judge brought the people into his chambers and they waffled on what they initially said.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 2, 2023

While she waffled between asking Ham and not asking him, she never gave a thought to asking Julian Singh.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

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

When “Yellowstone,” Sheridan’s first show, premiered in 2018, #MeToo was reverberating across television with producers waffling over whether to villainize or defend macho characters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025

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

“He moves with intent, there’s no waffling around or looking around. He knew where to go,” Henderson said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2023

“Young is waffling on more than whether or not he wants to eat his Danish, Reggie. Waffling. See what I did there?”

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

Related Words

• flip-flop
• vacillate