1
as in panic
a state of nervous or irritated concern
Grandma usually gets in a dither if I don't make my weekly call
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in butterflies
a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
we were all in a dither while we waited for the test results
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
we dithered all afternoon over whether to go to the park or to the movies and ended up doing neither
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dither
Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2025
Hamlet, famously, vows revenge on his uncle, Claudius, for the murder of his father—but then he dithers, delays, and generally goes crazy, only killing Claudius at the very end of Shakespeare’s longest play.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2024
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
This dithering isn’t helping anyone.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dither
Noun
In Diane Keaton’s dithers is all the strength of American women.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2025
Hamlet, famously, vows revenge on his uncle, Claudius, for the murder of his father—but then he dithers, delays, and generally goes crazy, only killing Claudius at the very end of Shakespeare’s longest play.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
His reluctance, according to a report Thursday by the Red Sox news site BoSox Injection, could open the door for another team to beat the Red Sox to the punch and sign Guerrero while Boston dithers over the size of his contract.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
This dithering isn’t helping anyone.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dither
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dither
Noun
-
According to the report, the lightning strike left beachgoers, swimmers and surfers in a panic, and many ran for their cars in the immediate aftermath.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
-
Steven was there for Conrad in that moment too, finding him on the beach hyperventilating and talking him out of the panic to distract him.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Many third-party managers hesitate to adopt centralized models, citing concerns about disruption or owner pushback.—
Tyler Christiansen,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
-
Social media users didn't hesitate to share their thoughts on the eBay sale.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
17 July 2025
Noun
-
So what’s all the fuss about a 51 year old when there are much older spirits about?—
Mark Littler,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
More than 17,500 fans came out on a balmy 107-degree day in the desert to see what all the fuss was about.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Skills Even with the best tools, untrained teams falter.—
Saby Waraich,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
Most of the recent job growth was in health care, social assistance, leisure and hospitality, a red flag that overall job growth may falter in the coming months.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Getty Images To date, the post has amassed more than 900 comments from TikTok viewers, many of them poking fun at the golden retriever mother's annoyed expression and shallow huffs.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
-
The chute opens, and rambunctious No. 2 bursts out with an impatient huff.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Before Sonic joined the game, McDonald’s sent fans into a tizzy after announcing that their beloved Snack Wraps would be back in action this summer.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
8 July 2025
-
His victory has sent some major investors, New York business leaders and conservative news commentators into a tizzy over the now-very-real possibility that Mamdani, a three-term state assemblyman, will be the mayor of America's largest city.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Remember it with every drop of sweat, every rep, every cramped calf and every aching stride.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 July 2025
-
Between the wear-everywhere look of jeans and the cloudlike comfort of sweats, these pants are the ultimate warm-weather travel companion—and honestly, a year-round staple.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dither.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dither. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share