hovered; hovering
ˈhə-v(ə-)riŋ 
ˈhä-
: to position (a computer cursor) over something (such as an image or icon) without selecting it
Many in the class hovered their cursors over words and icons for long periods before committing to clicking their mouse.—
Kelly Heyboer
Kelly Heyboer1
a
: to hang fluttering in the air or on the wing
A hawk hovered overhead.
b
: to remain suspended over a place or object
a hummingbird hovering over the flowers
Helicopters hovered above us.
2
a
: to move to and fro near a place : fluctuate around a given point
Unemployment hovered around 10 percent.
b
: to be in a state of uncertainty, irresolution, or suspense
… hovering uncomfortably behind a cigar …—Tennessee Williams
Tennessee WilliamsThe country hovers on the brink of famine.
Examples of hover in a Sentence
Verb
Watch as the hummingbird hovers over the flowers.
Bees hovered around the hive.
Waiters hovered near our table.
nervous mothers hovering over their children
Unemployment rates were hovering around 10 percent.
Temperatures will continue to hover around freezing.
The patient was hovering between life and death.
The country hovers on the brink of famine.
Recent Examples on the Web
John Werner, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
The metal is hovering near its 200-day moving average while simultaneously testing the 50% Fibonacci retracement of its prior advance, a confluence that technical traders don't take lightly.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 5 June 2026
The first experiment featured an artificial flower placed above a pit in the floor so that there was insufficient space for a bee to hover to reach the flower.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
The chamber was built so the bees couldn’t hover under the flower to drink from it.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hover
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
At press time, the stock’s value is hovering around $220, which might get retail investors excited about other tech stocks like SpaceX, on the prima facia ability of the shares not to get immediately devalued.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
The metal is hovering near its 200-day moving average while simultaneously testing the 50% Fibonacci retracement of its prior advance, a confluence that technical traders don't take lightly.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 5 June 2026
The first experiment featured an artificial flower placed above a pit in the floor so that there was insufficient space for a bee to hover to reach the flower.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
The chamber was built so the bees couldn’t hover under the flower to drink from it.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hover
Cite this Entry
“Hover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hover. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hovered; hovering
-(ə-)riŋ
1
a
: to hang fluttering in the air or on the wing
a bird hovered overhead
b
: to remain floating over a place or object
2
a
: to move to and fro near a place
waiters hovered about
b
: to be in an undecided or uncertain state
hovering between life and death
hover
noun
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