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

I usually get the trifecta with the waffle, the scrambled eggs with cheese and the million-dollar bacon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 23, 2026

Sandra: What on earth was that waffle in the post-match interview?

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025

Don’t be shy about shape or size — shoestring, steak-cut, crinkle, waffle, sweet potato — I’ll even give a pass to tater tots for the sake of this exercise.

From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2025

As in the Pantheon, the domed roof was a waffle pattern of recessed square panels, but here each panel was a stela—a grave marker with Ancient Greek inscriptions.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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

That came after Rodgers waffled on whether he should make the trip and skip a couple of full days of rehab.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 17, 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

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

He never apologised to the fans that paid good money, he shrugged off questions and started waffling.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 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

“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