waffle

2 synonyms for waffle, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A crisp pastry with a grid pattern, usually eaten hot with syrup or toppings.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

hesitate

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

waver

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A crisp pastry with a grid pattern, usually eaten hot with syrup or toppings.

“We had waffles with maple syrup for breakfast.”

hesitate waver

2. verb

To talk or write in a vague, long-winded way without getting to the point.

“The politician waffled on for ten minutes without answering the question.”

waver hesitate

How to use waffle

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

waffle on waffle about Belgian waffle

The "ramble" and "be indecisive" senses are informal, mostly British usage.

Etymology

The food sense comes from Dutch "wafel", related to "weave" because of its honeycomb grid. The "talk vaguely" sense grew separately in English, describing rambling, unfocused speech.

Full origin of waffle →

Frequently asked questions

What does “waffle” mean?

The word “waffle” means a crisp pastry with a grid pattern, usually eaten hot with syrup or toppings. In plain terms, either the breakfast food with a grid pattern, or talking/deciding in a vague, drawn-out way.

How do you pronounce “waffle”?

“Waffle” is pronounced WOF-uhl (/ˈwɑf.əl/ in IPA).

How do you use “waffle” in a sentence?

Here is “waffle” used in a sentence: “We had waffles with maple syrup for breakfast.”

What part of speech is “waffle”?

Depending on how it is used, “waffle” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “waffle” come from?

The word “waffle” comes from Dutch. The food sense comes from Dutch "wafel", related to "weave" because of its honeycomb grid. The "talk vaguely" sense grew separately in English, describing rambling, unfocused speech.

Is “waffle” a common word?

“Waffle” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “waffle” have?

“Waffle” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a crisp pastry with a grid pattern, usually eaten hot with syrup or toppings.

People also searched

hesitate waver

Nearby words

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