dither
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dith·er
(dĭth′ər)n.
A state of indecisive agitation.
intr.v. dith·ered, dith·er·ing, dith·ers
To be nervously irresolute in acting or doing.
[Alteration of didder, from Middle English dideren, to tremble; see diddle2.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
dither
(ˈdɪðə)vb (intr)
1. chiefly Brit to be uncertain or indecisive
2. chiefly US to be in an agitated state
3. to tremble, as with cold
n
4. chiefly Brit a state of indecision
5. a state of agitation
[C17: variant of C14 (northern English dialect) didder, of uncertain origin]
ˈditherer n
ˈdithery adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
dith•er
(ˈdɪð ər)n.
1. a trembling; vibration.
2. a state of flustered excitement or fear.
v.i. 3. to act irresolutely; vacillate.
[1640–50; <diddere; compare dodder1]
dith′er•er, n.
dith′er•y, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
See also related terms for tremble.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
dither
Past participle: dithered
Gerund: dithering
Imperative |
---|
dither |
dither |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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Noun | 1. | dither - an excited state of agitation; "he was in a dither"; "there was a terrible flap about the theft" agitation - a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance |
Verb | 1. | dither - act nervously; be undecided; be uncertain fret - be agitated or irritated; "don't fret over these small details" |
2. | dither - make a fuss; be agitated |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
dither
Chiefly Brit.verb
1. vacillate, hesitate, waver, haver, falter, hum and haw, faff about (Brit. informal), shillyshally (informal), swither (Scot.) We're still dithering over whether to get married.
vacillate decide, settle, resolve, conclude, make a decision, make up your mind, come to a conclusion, reach or come to a decision
vacillate decide, settle, resolve, conclude, make a decision, make up your mind, come to a conclusion, reach or come to a decision
noun
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
dither
nounverb
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
dither
[ˈdɪðəʳ]Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
dither
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995