wavering

American  

[wey-ver-ing] / ˈweɪ vər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. fluttering, swaying to and fro, tottering, or reeling.

   To make things more bearable, he imagined she was close by—just beyond that wavering curtain.

   The two stumbling cousins came to a wavering halt, leaning on each other.

2. flickering or quivering, as light.

   In the wavering light of the torch, the old warrior's face showed fond concern.

3. becoming unsteady; beginning to fail or give way.

   It wasn’t just the physical pain I suffered, it was the loss of self, the wavering sense of identity.

4. shaking or trembling, as the hands or voice.

   "Our thoughts are with our colleague’s family, friends, and loved ones," said the anchorman with a wavering voice.

5. feeling or showing doubt, indecision, etc.; vacillating.

   The disciplined mind is strong and effective, while the constantly wavering mind is weak and ineffective.

6. fluctuating or varying.

   The participants braved the wavering March weather for an engaging and action-packed day.

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noun

1. the act or condition of becoming unsteady, vacillating, faltering, or fluctuating.

   Any wavering of attention is very likely to result in an error.

2. the act or condition of flickering, swaying, tottering, or fluttering.

   There was a wavering in the cracked screen.

3. the act or condition of shaking or trembling, as the hands or voice.

   Her fear began to manifest itself in a minute trembling of her hand and a slight wavering of her voice.

Other Word Forms

• nonwavering
  adjective
• unwavering
  adjective
• unwaveringly
  adverb
• waveringly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of wavering

First recorded in 1350–1400; waver ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; waver ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

Example Sentences

Shares of Cerebras fell in their second trading day, but have remained higher than the initial offering price, despite wavering analyst confidence that the startup has a place in the AI ecosystem.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Oil prices were wavering following reports of a vessel seized near Iranian waters.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

The pioneering crypto’s sharp reversal signals a now increasing appetite for risk, with traditional safe-haven assets wavering.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

France is expected to continue posting one of the eurozone’s lowest inflation rates, with consumer prices seen wavering between 1% and 1.5% in the coming months, ING economist Charlotte de Montpellier said in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

In a state of delirium, wavering between life and death, Bill would sometimes mutter, “They got Rita and now it looks like they’ve got me.”

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• undecided