as in weak
formal
not certain about what to do; not resolute
He has been criticized as an irresolute leader.
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Recent Examples of irresolute
The prevailing sense among investors and market handicappers entering the month was to expect choppy, irresolute action full of potential scares.
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Michael Santoli, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2024
Showing signs of being irresolute can signal weakness that adversaries take note of.
—Michael Poznansky, Foreign Affairs, 5 Jan. 2024
In short, Obama’s apparent restraint appears irresolute, whereas Putin comes across as a strong, decisive master strategist who exploits Obama’s weakness and keeps Washington off balance.
—Alexander Cooley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2015
Vernon’s sea power duly secured the Panamanian export hub of Porto Bello (which would give its name to London’s Portobello Road), but the irresolute Wentworth was ignominiously defeated in his halfhearted attempts to capture Cartagena (in modern-day Colombia) and Santiago, Cuba.
—Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2021
In some states, the confusion felt by providers and patients is compounded by ambiguous, irresolute language in the new and forthcoming laws themselves.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 2 July 2022
That phrase is a call back to the ancestors and an acknowledgment that you were not raised to be fearful and irresolute.
—Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2021
Sessions became unpopular within the agency for irresolute leadership, according to a 1993 New York Times article that described him as having a short attention span and being disinterested in bureaucratic details.
—Stephen Miller, Bloomberg.com, 11 June 2020
More unsettling than terrifying, the story (by the directors and Sergio Casci) builds to a leisurely, irresolute and unsatisfying climax.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2020
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2024
Showing signs of being irresolute can signal weakness that adversaries take note of.
—Michael Poznansky, Foreign Affairs, 5 Jan. 2024
In short, Obama’s apparent restraint appears irresolute, whereas Putin comes across as a strong, decisive master strategist who exploits Obama’s weakness and keeps Washington off balance.
—Alexander Cooley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2015
Vernon’s sea power duly secured the Panamanian export hub of Porto Bello (which would give its name to London’s Portobello Road), but the irresolute Wentworth was ignominiously defeated in his halfhearted attempts to capture Cartagena (in modern-day Colombia) and Santiago, Cuba.
—Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2021
In some states, the confusion felt by providers and patients is compounded by ambiguous, irresolute language in the new and forthcoming laws themselves.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 2 July 2022
That phrase is a call back to the ancestors and an acknowledgment that you were not raised to be fearful and irresolute.
—Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2021
Sessions became unpopular within the agency for irresolute leadership, according to a 1993 New York Times article that described him as having a short attention span and being disinterested in bureaucratic details.
—Stephen Miller, Bloomberg.com, 11 June 2020
More unsettling than terrifying, the story (by the directors and Sergio Casci) builds to a leisurely, irresolute and unsatisfying climax.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irresolute
Adjective
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Area roads could become dangerously slick Monday morning as a weak system is expected to bring freezing rain overnight, according to the National Weather Service.Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2024
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Houston will be a weaker team in 2025, but one Brown still believes can capture an American League West championship.Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But the outcome at the end of a tumultuous week had been uncertain after Trump had insisted the deal include an increase in the government’s borrowing limit.Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
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Whether the snow sticks around long enough for a white Christmas is uncertain.arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The incident report states the victim is uncooperative and was hesitant to press charges or speak about this case.Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 22 Dec. 2024
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While DeYoung is hesitant to give too much away, fans of Robinson's work can probably imagine how this budding friendship turns sour.Mike Miller, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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On the other hand, leaders who have cultivated negative thoughts, such as fear of failure or distrust of others, or who do not know how to control them, tend to micromanage or be indecisive rather than seeking a culture of participation with their team and within their organization.Veronica Angela, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
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The trendy shade is ideal for indecisive beauty lovers, too.Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The patients, many aged and infirm, have been besieging lawmakers with meetings, calls and emails, pressing them to pass the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform, or SOAR, Act by the end of the year.Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 16 Dec. 2024
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However, unless the patient/resident is so infirm that he or she can’t be moved, nothing prevents a son, daughter or grandchild from taking their relative OUT for a nice brunch, lunch or dinner.Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near irresolute
Cite this Entry
“Irresolute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irresolute. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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