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
Philip Elliott, TIME, 8 Jan. 2025
In 2025, my hope for the world is that governments and institutions will finally stop dithering and focus on solutions that deliver the best returns.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for dither 
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Verb
Trump was none too pleased, but Senate GOP staffers were ready with their own complaints: Trump dithered on submitting his nominees to the traditional FBI background checks for almost a month and most of his picks have not turned in all their paperwork.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 8 Jan. 2025
In 2025, my hope for the world is that governments and institutions will finally stop dithering and focus on solutions that deliver the best returns.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
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
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 18 Jan. 2025.
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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