Synonyms of dithering

dithering

verb

present participle of dither

as in hesitating

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

• hesitating
• faltering
• vacillating
• debating
• waiting
• wavering
• staggering
• balancing
• hanging back
• halting
• wobbling
• pausing
• scrupling
• shilly-shallying
• teetering
• lingering
• delaying
• procrastinating
• dawdling
• hawing
• swaying
• pondering
• deliberating
• hemming
• waffling
• weighing
• dallying
• equivocating
• backing down
• pussyfooting
• oscillating
• considering
• hedging
• chickening (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• deciding
• plunging (in)
• diving (in)
• continuing
• stirring
• advancing
• budging

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dithering

But the finished picture, at 95 minutes, ultimately doesn’t offer enough to justify all that narrative dithering. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

Until that point, Birmingham had looked dangerous, conquering the space vacated by City’s adventurous full-backs (in fact, Oceane Hurtre robbed a dithering Jade Rose on the edge of stoppage time for a consolation goal). — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Besides, the rare earth industry is so cost-intensive that Lynas is even dithering on its new Texas facility despite the hundreds of millions secured from the Department of War. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 21 Apr. 2026

Neither of them is going to sit around dithering. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025

There was no dithering, just a window of opportunity narrowing by the minute. — Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025

Either technology can show an assortment of issues like banding and dithering patterns in fills, which vary from printer to printer and can even vary from one quality setting to another with the same printer. — PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025

After a decade of dithering by state leaders, voters forced change last November with their landslide approval of Proposition 36, which reversed parts of Proposition 47 and made some theft and drug crimes felonies once more. — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2025

Kudos for persistence, but slam the leadership dithering. — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025