Waver

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: wav=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

Waver, v. i. [OE. waveren, from AS. wæfre wavering, restless. See Wave, v. i.].

•  To play or move to and fro; to move one way and the other; hence, to totter; to reel; to swing; to flutter.  [1913 Webster]

  "With banners and pennons wavering with the wind."  [1913 Webster]

  "Thou wouldst waver on one of these trees as a terror to all evil speakers against dignities."  [1913 Webster]
•  To be unsettled in opinion; to vacillate; to be undetermined; to fluctuate; as, to water in judgment.  [1913 Webster]

  "Let us hold fast . . . without wavering."  [1913 Webster]

  "In feeble hearts, propense enough before
  To waver, or fall off and join with idols."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To reel; totter; vacillate. See Fluctuate.

Waver, n. [From Wave, or Waver, v.].

 A sapling left standing in a fallen wood.  Halliwell.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Waver, v.intr.
1 be or become unsteady; falter; begin to give way.
2 be irresolute or undecided between different courses or opinions; be shaken in resolution or belief.
3 (of a light) flicker.

Derivative

waverer n. waveringly adv.

Etymology

ME f. ON vafra flicker f. Gmc, rel. to WAVE

THESAURUS

Waver

alternate, back and fill, beat, beating, bicker, blench, bob, bobble, boggle, careen, change, coggle, dance, dangle, demur, dither, ebb and flow, equivocate, falter, fight shy of, flap, flick, flicker, flinch, flip, flit, flitter, flop, flounder, fluctuate, flutter, go pitapat, go through phases, gutter, halt, hang back, hang off, have qualms, hem and haw, hesitate, hold off, librate, lurch, make bones about, nutate, oscillate, palpitate, palpitation, palter, pause, pendulate, pitapat, pitch, pitter-patter, play, pull back, pulse, quail, quiver, recoil, reel, resonate, ring the changes, rock, roll, scruple, seesaw, shake, shift, shilly-shally, shrink, shuffle, shy, shy at, slat, splutter, sputter, stagger, stick at, stickle, strain, swag, sway, swing, swinging, teeter, teeter-totter, tergiversate, throb, toss, totter, trim, turn, vacillate, vary, vibrate, wag, waggle, wave, wax and wane, whiffle, wince, wobble

ROGET THESAURUS

Waver

Tergiversation

VB change one's mind, change one's intention, change one's purpose, change one's note, abjure, renounce, withdraw from, waver, vacillate, wheel round, turn round, veer round, turn a pirouette, go over from one side to another, pass from one side to another, change from one side to another, skip from one side to another, go to the rightabout, box the compass, shift one's ground, go upon another tack, apostatize, change sides, go over, rat, recant, retract, revoke, rescind, recall, forswear, unsay, come over, come round to an opinion, crawfish, crawl, draw in one's horns, eat one's words, eat the leek, swallow the leek, swerve, flinch, back out of, retrace one's steps, think better of it, come back return to one's first love, turn over a new leaf, trim, shuffle, play fast and loose, blow hot and cold, coquet, be on the fence, straddle, bold with the hare but run with the hounds, nager entre deux eaux, wait to see how the cat jumps, wait to see how the wind blows.

Changeableness

VB fluctuate, vary, waver, flounder, flicker, flitter, flit, flutter, shift, shuffle, shake, totter, tremble, vacillate, wamble, turn and turn about, ring the changes, sway to and fro, shift to and fro, change and change about, waffle, blow with the wind (irresolute), oscillate, vibrate between, two extremes, oscillate between, two extremes, alternate, have as man phases as the moon.

Doubt

VB disbelieve, discredit, not believe, misbelieve, refuse to admit, refuse to believe, doubt, be doubtful, doubt the truth of, be skeptical as to, diffide, distrust, mistrust, suspect, smoke, scent, smell a rat, have doubts, harbor doubts, entertain doubts, suspicions, have one's doubts, demure, stick at, pause, hesitate, scruple, stop to consider, waver, hang in suspense, hang in doubt, throw doubt upon, raise a question, bring in, call in question, question, challenge, dispute, deny, cavil, cause a doubt, raise a doubt, start a doubt, suggest a doubt, awake a doubt, make suspicion, ergotize, startle, stagger, shake one's faith, shake one's belief, stagger one's faith, stagger one's belief.