dithered; dithering
ˈdi-t͟h(ə-)riŋ 
2
: to act nervously or indecisively : vacillate
dithering about what to do next
There's no time to dither.
: a highly nervous, excited, or agitated state : excitement, confusion
The news of her arrival had us all in a dither.
Examples of dither in a Sentence
Verb
We don't have time to dither.
She did not dither about what to do next.
Noun
Grandma usually gets in a dither if I don't make my weekly call.
we were all in a dither while we waited for the test results
Recent Examples on the Web
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
The West Ham captain opts to tee up Ferguson, who dithers with the opportunity, allowing Leicester defender Jannik Vestergaard to block the eventual shot.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 26 Mar. 2025
The West Ham captain opts to tee up Ferguson, who dithers with the opportunity, allowing Leicester defender Jannik Vestergaard to block the eventual shot.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dither
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Verb
Following her nose to a funeral where Arthur has managed to convince the dithering family to cremate rather than go with burial, Elsbeth has her most down-to-the-wire crime-proving moment yet.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
The West Ham captain opts to tee up Ferguson, who dithers with the opportunity, allowing Leicester defender Jannik Vestergaard to block the eventual shot.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
Trump fights lefty judges as Supreme Court dithers.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 26 Mar. 2025
The West Ham captain opts to tee up Ferguson, who dithers with the opportunity, allowing Leicester defender Jannik Vestergaard to block the eventual shot.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dither
Cite this Entry
“Dither.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dither. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dither
1 of 2 noun
dith·er
ˈdit͟h-ər
: a highly nervous or excited state
the news had him in a dither
dithery
adjective
-ə-rē
dither
2 of 2 verb
dithered; dithering
: to act nervously or indecisively
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