as in weak
formal
not certain about what to do; not resolute
He has been criticized as an irresolute leader.
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Dissimilar Words
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
after a moment of anguished irresolution, I raised my rifle and fired at the charging animal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of 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
In some states, the confusion felt by providers and patients is compounded by ambiguous, irresolute language in the new and forthcoming laws themselves.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 2 July 2022
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
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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
In some states, the confusion felt by providers and patients is compounded by ambiguous, irresolute language in the new and forthcoming laws themselves.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 2 July 2022
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
Noun
The Oslo musician’s debut album is a darkly glamorous blur of trip-hop and dance pop, with copious reverb and Auto-Tune as stand-ins for yearning, uneasiness, and irresolution.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irresolute
Adjective
-
Trump has directed his ire toward the Department of Labor agency ever since former Commissioner Erika McEntarfer authorized the release of a weak jobs report last summer.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Procedures harden, decision paths lengthen, and people wait for permission rather than acting on weak signals from the environment.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Over time, this hesitation creates cognitive overload, last-minute scrambling and fewer growth opportunities for other leaders.—
Dilan Gomih,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
According to Tuff, what causes leaders to miss these paradigm shifts is not ignorance but hesitation.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But even as India retains its growth story amid an increasingly uncertain global economic environment, its weak currency is a cause of concern for the government.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Norfolk Southern's quarterly profit slipped 12% amid the uncertain economy as well as unusual costs related to its efforts to merge with Union Pacific in an $85 billion deal that would create a transcontinental railroad.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Warsh, a former Fed governor with a Wall Street background, has been critical of the central bank's handling of inflation in the past and told CNBC in July that its hesitancy to cut interest rates undermined its credibility.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Noting her hesitancy, Benedict’s character in the book guesses that Sophie is illegitimate.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Big pharmaceutical companies and major venture capitalists are interested in novel approaches but hesitant.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Perhaps reflecting the stakes, GOP staff and campaign aides were hesitant Monday to talk about the issue at all.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But the unwillingness to even take them, the same hesitance that Nance and most others believed was in the past, is hurting his overall game.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
-
After a little practice breathing through the tube and getting past her initial hesitance, Jenner puts her face into the water, and comes back up immediately, her hair stuck to her skin.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Evidence of an indecisive mind.—
Karen Stabiner,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Lego Creator 3-in-1 Wild Safari Animals This three-in-one Lego set is the perfect gift for the indecisive builder or animal lover.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The White House didn't immediately respond to a query seeking clarity about the scope and timing of any limited pause.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
As the officers back away from Pretti, there’s a pause in shooting that lasts just under a second, according to an analysis of the shooting audio by Robert Maher, an audio forensic expert at Montana State University.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irresolute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irresolute. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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