waffle

1 of 3

noun (1)

waf·​fle ˈwä-fəl 

ˈwȯ-

: a crisp cake of batter baked in a waffle iron

waffle

2 of 3

verb

waffled; waffling ˈwä-f(ə-)liŋ 

ˈwȯ-

intransitive verb

1

: equivocate, vacillate

waffled on the important issues

also : yo-yo, flip-flop

2

: to talk or write foolishly : blather

can waffle … tiresomely off the point

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

waffler

ˈwä-f(ə-)lər 

ˈwȯ-

noun

waffle

3 of 3

noun (2)

: empty or pretentious words : tripe

Synonyms

Verb

• equivocate
• fudge
• hedge
• pussyfoot
• tergiversate
• weasel

Examples of waffle in a Sentence

Verb

she waffled when asked what she thought of her sister's new boyfriend

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In more than 1,400 posts shared to Instagram, Peanut can be seen munching on waffles, jumping through hula-hoops, and greeting Longo home from work. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024

Frozen waffles sold under a variety of brand names were recalled due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024

Verb

The White House waffled; President Barack Obama later expressed regret over the incident but did not apologize. —Stephen D. Krasner, Foreign Affairs, 29 Nov. 2011

Advertisement County officials have waffled for years on closing the jail, unsure of what should replace it. —Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Dutch wafel, from Middle Dutch wafele; akin to Old High German waba honeycomb, Old English wefan to weave

Verb

frequentative of obsolete woff to yelp, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1744, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1888, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing waffle

• Belgian waffle
• waffle iron

Kids Definition

waffle

1 of 2 noun

waf·​fle

ˈwäf-əl,

ˈwȯf-

: a crisp cake with an indented crust made by cooking batter in a waffle iron

waffle

2 of 2 verb

waffled; waffling

1

: to be unable or unwilling to be clear about choices or opinions

also : to make a sudden reversal (as of policy)

2

British : to talk or write a lot without saying anything important