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 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
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Precious metals and mining stocks were weak across both markets.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
But Democrats see Earle-Sears as a far weaker candidate than Youngkin, operating a worse environment for the GOP.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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According to a survey conducted for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, more than 70% of Americans have felt either cautious or uncertain about their financial situation over the past 12 months.—
Corina Vanek,
AZCentral.com,
7 July 2025
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This enormous — and uncertain — data center growth should not be Maryland’s responsibility.—
David S. Lapp,
Baltimore Sun,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Yet Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) – which leads Germany’s coalition government – is hesitant.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
6 July 2025
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His defense at second base is also still evolving, too, which accentuates why the Astros are hesitant to summon him.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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While finding the perfect glass of wine or ideal bottle to accompany your meal can feel like a chore, especially for the indecisive among us, there is a certain thrill in perusing a large wine list with a broad range of selections and encountering names both familiar and unexpected.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
1 July 2025
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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
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Irresolute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irresolute. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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