as in weak
formal
not certain about what to do; not resolute
He has been criticized as an irresolute leader.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of irresolute
The situation is impossible, irresolute— the B.J. Vineses and priests of the world shouldn’t get to walk away scot free.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2025
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
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irresolute
Adjective
-
In sum, there is a weak case, at best, for some kind of standardization of non-financial KPIs.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
-
But many Tea Party nominees proved to be weak general election candidates when running for Senate, delaying Republican control of the upper chamber until 2014.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
The impact of the decision is uncertain because immigrants could apply for legal status under other programs.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 June 2025
-
The bill now moves to the Senate, where its future is uncertain.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Kwame was hesitant to take the plunge for several reasons, the most prominent being his mother's refusal to attend the wedding.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
13 June 2025
-
Businesses that have invested years in tailoring their systems may be hesitant to risk functionality loss or reintegrate complex tools.—
Eric Giesecke,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Advertisement Though stereotypes about bisexuals being indecisive or noncommittal still persist today, there is also a movement to embrace these qualities as part of the identity.—
Myisha Battle,
Time,
12 June 2025
-
The second obvious option to be fired was Ivana, the team leader who everyone agreed was indecisive and disorganized.—
Laura Bassett,
Rolling Stone,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
No longer the beloved Renaissance prince of his youth, Henry was, by his mid-40s, an increasingly infirm and mercurial monarch who had few qualms about sending his closest companions—among them the aforementioned Thomas More—to the executioner’s block.—
Meilan Solly,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 Mar. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Irresolute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irresolute. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share