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.
—
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2024
The prevailing sense among investors and market handicappers entering the month was to expect choppy, irresolute action full of potential scares.
—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
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
The prevailing sense among investors and market handicappers entering the month was to expect choppy, irresolute action full of potential scares.
—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
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
-
Carbonaceous chondrites tend to be weaker and more crumbly than other meteorites, so these objects just don’t stand as much of a chance.—
Patrick M. Shober,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Dell Technologies’ balance sheet appears relatively weak.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The more Macdonald resists mythologizing or summing up, the more John Lennon and Yoko Ono emerge as fragile, complex individuals on a journey together during uncertain times.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2025
-
The franc stood at $1.22, raising questions about the dollar's role as a traditional safe haven during uncertain times.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Lu and experts predict that in tighter times, Americans will likely be more hesitant both to buy new clothes and to donate their old ones.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Amanda Peet and Olivia Munn aren't hesitant to throw down.—
Brianne Tracy,
People.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump has downplayed concerns that his seemingly indecisive policy pronouncements may contribute to uneasiness among consumers and businesses.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
11 Mar. 2025
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This indecisive time period is perfect for cleaning out your closet.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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They’re designed for Americans that are struggling, that are below the poverty line, or that are infirm, that can’t work and afford health care.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
9 Mar. 2025
-
In place of lockdowns, the statement contended, the nation could simply let infections spread among most of the population while the old and infirm remained in relative isolation.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irresolute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irresolute. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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