as in weak
formal
not certain about what to do; not resolute
He has been criticized as an irresolute leader.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of irresolute
Both Fortune and Harris express having great empathy for the protagonist, who was an insecure girl that had an irresolute boyfriend and made a grave mistake.
—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Where Trump is unrelenting and single-minded, the justices have been inconsistent and unpredictable, and therefore appear irresolute.
—
Noah Feldman,
Twin Cities,
24 Dec. 2025
Downtown, in his studio at the corner of White and Cortlandt Alley, on a Thursday evening in late July, Wyeth sat on his stool and considered the irresolute underpainting on his canvas.
—
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
The situation is impossible, irresolute— the B.J. Vineses and priests of the world shouldn’t get to walk away scot free.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2025
The prevailing sense among investors and market handicappers entering the month was to expect choppy, irresolute action full of potential scares.
—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
12 Oct. 2024
Showing signs of being irresolute can signal weakness that adversaries take note of.
—
Michael Poznansky,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Jan. 2024
Vernon’s sea power duly secured the Panamanian export hub of Porto Bello (which would give its name to London’s Portobello Road), but the irresolute Wentworth was ignominiously defeated in his halfhearted attempts to capture Cartagena (in modern-day Colombia) and Santiago, Cuba.
—
Washington Post,
10 Nov. 2021
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Where Trump is unrelenting and single-minded, the justices have been inconsistent and unpredictable, and therefore appear irresolute.
—
Noah Feldman,
Twin Cities,
24 Dec. 2025
Downtown, in his studio at the corner of White and Cortlandt Alley, on a Thursday evening in late July, Wyeth sat on his stool and considered the irresolute underpainting on his canvas.
—
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
The situation is impossible, irresolute— the B.J. Vineses and priests of the world shouldn’t get to walk away scot free.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2025
The prevailing sense among investors and market handicappers entering the month was to expect choppy, irresolute action full of potential scares.
—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
12 Oct. 2024
Showing signs of being irresolute can signal weakness that adversaries take note of.
—
Michael Poznansky,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Jan. 2024
Vernon’s sea power duly secured the Panamanian export hub of Porto Bello (which would give its name to London’s Portobello Road), but the irresolute Wentworth was ignominiously defeated in his halfhearted attempts to capture Cartagena (in modern-day Colombia) and Santiago, Cuba.
—
Washington Post,
10 Nov. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irresolute
Adjective
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Depressed wages, a weak currency and hyperinflation have continued to make life difficult for ordinary Venezuelans, many of whom struggle to afford basic goods.
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There, the Sox scored on a weak, off-line throw from shallow left fielder José Caballero.
Adjective
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For now, advocates say preparation and persistence are critical as the community faces an uncertain future.
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The bold story choice, which reunites the staff for what may be their final kitchen service as the restaurant faces an uncertain future, was met with enthusiasm from the cast.
Adjective
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His kids, though hesitant at first, became a large part of the business.
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The stock is catching the eye of short-sellers, but as CNBC’s Yun Li reports, many still seem hesitant about betting against Elon Musk.
Adjective
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Chalky light pinks and powder blues can fall flat and read as indecisive.
-
Helena Newman, auctioneer and chairman of Impressionist and modern art, elegant in a green Victoria Beckham dress, leaned firmly on specialists with indecisive phone bidders.
Adjective
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The same engine that nudges one shopper up can hand another a discount to close a wavering sale.
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He was encouraged by his timing and sensed Miller might be wavering, especially after an errant pickoff throw put the go-ahead run 90 feet away.
Adjective
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Earlier this month, Nancy Guthrie, the elderly and infirm mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was violently taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona.
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The four Democratic members of the JBC, which controls the state budget, asked with growing consternation why the Department of Corrections hadn’t brought them a plan to address overcrowding, to step up releases of old and infirm inmates, or to improve its own shortcomings.
Adjective
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This is the Alcaraz who is unbeatable, a man who cut out the vacillating streaks in his game that derailed him in Melbourne and Wimbledon.
Cite this Entry
“Irresolute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irresolute. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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