dithered; dithering
ˈdi-t͟h(ə-)riŋ 
2
: to act nervously or indecisively : vacillate
dithering about what to do next
There's no time to dither.
: a highly nervous, excited, or agitated state : excitement, confusion
The news of her arrival had us all in a dither.
Synonyms
Examples of dither in a Sentence
Verb
We don't have time to dither.
She did not dither about what to do next.
Noun
Grandma usually gets in a dither if I don't make my weekly call.
we were all in a dither while we waited for the test results
Recent Examples on the Web
Alice Burton, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2024
Thinking through this possibility ahead of time will help business leaders respond to changes promptly and calmly—which is much better than dithering or panicking.
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 July 2024
Democrats are raising alarms that Vladimir Putin could advance on Kyiv while Congress dithers.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dither 
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Verb
Charles is dithering along this week, and Anjou is still under house arrest.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2024
Thinking through this possibility ahead of time will help business leaders respond to changes promptly and calmly—which is much better than dithering or panicking.
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Noun
Meanwhile, as Biden dithers, GOP nominee Donald Trump is widening his lead both nationally and in all of the battleground states.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 July 2024
Democrats are raising alarms that Vladimir Putin could advance on Kyiv while Congress dithers.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dither
Articles Related to dither
Dictionary Entries Near dither
Cite this Entry
“Dither.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dither. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dither
1 of 2 noun
dith·er
ˈdit͟h-ər
: a highly nervous or excited state
the news had him in a dither
dithery
adjective
-ə-rē
dither
2 of 2 verb
dithered; dithering
: to act nervously or indecisively
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