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to go from one thing to another without good reason; to have no settled purpose; to be irresolute or unstable. [Colloq.]

To hang about; to move to and fro near a place, threateningly, watchfully, or irresolutely. Agricola having sent his navy to hover on the coast. Milton. Hovering o'er the paper with her quill. Shak.

Undetermined; prone to indecision; irresolute; unsettled; wavering; vacillating; hesitating; as, an indecisive state of mind; an indecisive character.

Weak of mind or will; irresolute; vacillating. "An infirm judgment." Burke. Infirm of purpose! Shak.

lexibleness; rigidity; firmness of will or purpose; unbending pertinacity; steadfastness; resoluteness; unchangeableness; obstinacy. The inflexibility of mechanism. A. Baxter. That grave inflexibility of soul. Churchill. The purity and inflexibility of their faith. T. Warton.

Firm in will or purpose; not to be turned, changed, or altered; resolute; determined; unyieding; inexorable; stubborn. "Inflexibleas steel." Miltom. Amanof upright and inflexibletemper . . . can overcome all private fear. Addison.

The quality or state of being intrepid; fearless bravery; courage; resoluteness; valor. Sir Roger had acquitted himself of two or three sentences with a look of much business and great intrepidity. Addison.

In an intrepid manner; courageously; resolutely.

t of decision in purpose; a fluctuation of mind, as in doubt, or between hope and fear; irresoluteness; indecision; vacillation. Irresolution on the schemes of life which offer themselves to our choice, and inconstancy in pursuing them, are the greatest causes of all unhappiness. Addison.

Showing manliness, or manly spirit; hence, brave, courageous, resolute, noble. " Manful hardiness." Chaucer. -- Man"ful*ly, adv. -- Man"ful*ness, n.

g qualities becoming to a man; not childish or womanish; manlike, esp. brave, courageous, resolute, noble. Let's briefly put on manly readiness. Shak. Serene and manly, hardened to sustain The load of life. Dryden.

oubt and apprehension to, instead of confidence and courage; to impart fear to; to make irresolute; -- usually said of the mind or heart, and followed by the objective personal pronoun. So doth my heart misgive me in these conflicts What may befall him, to his harm and ours. Shak. Such whose consciences misgave them, h…

not off; as in the phrase, "He is neither on nor off," that is, he is not steady, he is irresolute.

Resolute; persevering; constant; steady. Diligence is a steady, constant, and pertinacious study. South.

Having a fixed purpose; determined; resolute; -- usually placed after its noun; as, a man resolved to be rich. That makes him a resolved enemy. Jer. Taylor. I am resolved she shall not settle here. Fielding.

Resolutely; decidedly; firmly. Grew.

In an irresolute, undecided, or hesitating manner. I am somewhat dainty in making a resolution, because when I make it, I keep it; I don't stand shill-I-shall-I then; if I say 't, I'll do 't. Congreve.

To hesitate; to act in an irresolute manner; hence, to occupy one's self with trifles.

Not fickle or wavering; constant; firm; resolute; unswerving; steady. "Steadfast eye." Shak. Abide steadfast unto him [thy neighbor] in the time of his trouble. Ecclus. xxii. 23. Whom resist steadfast in the faith. 1 Pet. v. 9.

e." Keble. Their feet steady, their hands diligent, their eyes watchful, and their hearts resolute. Sir P. Sidney.