as in weak
formal
not certain about what to do; not resolute
He has been criticized as an irresolute leader.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
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
-
Twilio — Shares of the cloud communications company plunged 15% on the heels of its weak earnings guidance.—
Hakyung Kim,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2025
-
The Trade Desk missed fourth-quarter revenue estimates and issued weak guidance.—
Medora Lee,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
However, dissolving the DoE would require congressional approval, which remains uncertain.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Reporting meant hours of conversation in the car; room for asking the same questions over and over; the gradual diminishment of one’s embarrassment about being ignorant or uncertain; a dilatory attitude of quiet listening and watching; the possibility of misunderstandings resolved.—
Joshua Rothman,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Backyard Sports has never featured loot boxes or microtransactions, and locking a character like Pablo Sanchez behind an additional paywall would spark a fan revolt, causing parents to be hesitant to support the games.—
Jake Lang,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2025
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While both Las Vegas and New Orleans are well-know tourist destinations, the recent attack on Bourbon Street may leave some fans hesitant to make their way to NOLA.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Although Western aid has enabled Ukraine to put up significant resistance, the results remain indecisive.—
Michael Poznansky,
Foreign Affairs,
3 Jan. 2025
-
Uncertainty has gripped France since the summer when indecisive parliamentary elections saw both the left- and right-wing political blocs perform well.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
With their branches weighted down by snow, his evergreens are infirm but not yet fallen—still here after the storm.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
5 Feb. 2025
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Harper and Ullman said the younger women sometimes looked after elderly, infirm or penniless prisoners.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near irresolute
Cite this Entry
“Irresolute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irresolute. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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