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

After wavering in early trading, major U.S. stock indexes were mixed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 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

Stocks are wavering into the final trading days of the year, and the hoped-for December rally has yet to materialize as the S&P 500 and the tech-focused Nasdaq remain in negative territory for the month.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

A wavering beam of light snaps on high in the night sky.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

Related Words

• undecided