irresolute
adjective
ir·res·o·lute
i-ˈre-zə-ˌlüt 
ˌi(r)-,
-lət
: uncertain how to act or proceed : vacillating
irresolute legislators
Examples of irresolute in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'irresolute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near irresolute
Cite this Entry
“Irresolute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irresolute. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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irresolute
adjective
ir·res·o·lute
(ˈ)ir-ˈ(r)ez-ə-ˌlüt
-lət
: not resolute : hesitant
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