dither

American  

[dith-er] / ˈdɪð ər /

noun

1. a trembling; vibration.

2. a state of flustered excitement or fear.

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verb (used without object)

1. to act irresolutely; vacillate.

2. North England. to tremble with excitement or fear.

dither British  

/ ˈdɪðə /

verb

1. to be uncertain or indecisive

2. to be in an agitated state

3. to tremble, as with cold

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noun

1. a state of indecision

2. a state of agitation

Other Word Forms

• ditherer noun
• dithery adjective

Etymology

Origin of dither

1640–50; variant of didder ( late Middle English diddere ); cf. dodder ¹

Explanation

When you dither, you're flustered because you can't make up your mind about something. You might dither about what to do if your two best friends invite you to parties on the same night. The verb dither implies not only that you're having a hard time deciding about something, but that you're upset or agitated about it. You might say to your friend, "Don't just pace around and dither about what to wear! We're going to be late!" In the 17th century, dither meant "quake or tremble," and by the early 1800s it came to mean both "vacillate" and "be anxious."

Example Sentences

And while Hamlet may dither in seeking revenge for his father’s murder, we don’t hope that the scheming Claudius gets away with it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

"For too long, the North has been held back by underinvestment and years of dither and delay," Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026

But he told the programme Ukraine’s allies needed to be "firm" and "not signal this kind of dither and dilemma".

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2024

Providing this road map of his intentions puts Smith on firm footing to challenge the judge if she continues to dither.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 4, 2024

When Sunday actually came around, I was in a real dither over my date.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals