waffle

1 of 3

noun (1)

waf·​fle ˈwä-fəl How to pronounce waffle (audio)
ˈwȯ-
: a crisp cake of batter baked in a waffle iron

waffle

2 of 3

verb

waffled; waffling ˈwä-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce waffle (audio)
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 pointThe Times Literary Supplement (London)
waffler noun

waffle

3 of 3

noun (2)

: empty or pretentious words : tripe

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The construction industry may also be experiencing a hit in Texas as real estate demand waffles in previous hotspots like Austin. Construction Specialties Platform and S&B Engineers and Constructors announced their layoffs for March, letting go of between 11 and 250 workers. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025 The protein content of some popular gluten-free items like tortilla wraps, pancake and waffle mix, seeded bread, and noodles was generally less than half of that found in gluten-containing equivalents.1 Overall, the results weren’t surprising, the authors noted. Cathy Nelson, Health, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
Steel stocks waffled, after seeing some gains in the premarket. Michelle Fox, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025 His footwork seemed sloppy and his eyes often waffled from one side of the field to the other and back. Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for waffle

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of waffle was in 1744

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Waffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waffle. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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

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