dither
gb/dˈɪðɚ/ us/dˈɪðɚ/
B2
English
habozik, hezitál, idegesség, izgatottság, remeg, didereg, reszket, ditherel, dither, ditherzaj
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] dithers (about/over) [something] | dither between [option A] and [option B]
She dithered for so long that the tickets sold out.
Olyan sokáig habozott, hogy közben elfogytak a jegyek.
I’m dithering about whether to move or stay where I am.
Azon habozom, hogy elköltözzek-e, vagy maradjak, ahol vagyok.
He dithered between the blue shirt and the white one.
Learner examples
Please don’t dither—choose one.
Kérlek, ne habozz — válassz egyet.
I dithered about my answer.
Sokáig hezitáltam, mit válaszoljak.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse with 'wither' or 'dinner'. 'Dither' is about not deciding, not about getting smaller or food.
Meaning
hesitate because of indecision
Collocations
dither about what to do
|dither over the decision
|dither between two options
|stop dithering
|don’t dither
|dither and delay
|still dithering
|dither for too long
|dither endlessly
|dither at the last minute
Synonyms
hesitate (more general; can be brief and not always about indecision)
|
vacillate (more formal; emphasizes changing your mind repeatedly)
|
waver (often suggests uncertainty or lack of firmness)
Antonyms
decide (to make a choice instead of delaying)
|
act (to take action promptly rather than hesitating)
Themes
decision_making
|daily_life
|emotions
Definition
to wait and not decide what to do
To hesitate or delay because you cannot decide what to do.
NOUN
B2
2
idegesség
B1
izgatottság
B2
Usage pattern:
in a dither (about/over) [something]
She was in a dither about what to wear to the interview.
Nagyon ideges volt amiatt, hogy mit vegyen fel az interjúra.
Don’t get yourself into a dither—there’s still plenty of time.
Ne idegeskedj ennyire — még bőven van idő.
The last-minute change threw the whole team into a dither.
Learner examples
He is in a dither about the test.
Ideges a vizsga miatt.
Common mistake:
Often used with 'in a dither'; it’s not usually used as a countable noun (avoid 'a dither' without 'in').
Meaning
state of nervous confusion
Collocations
in a dither
|get in a dither
|work yourself into a dither
|in a complete dither
|in a right dither
|in a bit of a dither
|in a dither about it
Synonyms
fluster (focuses on being upset and disorganized, often socially)
|
fuss (suggests unnecessary worry or overattention to details)
Antonyms
calm (a relaxed, settled state rather than agitation)
|
composure (controlled calmness, especially under pressure)
Themes
emotions
|daily_life
Definition
a worried, confused feeling when you can’t decide
A state of nervous agitation, confusion, or indecision.
VERB
C1
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] dithers | [something] dithers
He stood at the door, dithering with cold.
Az ajtóban állt, dideregve a hidegtől.
Her voice dithered as she tried to explain.
Remegett a hangja, miközben próbálta elmagyarázni.
The candle flame dithered in the draft.
Learner examples
My hands dither when I’m cold.
Reszket a kezem, amikor fázom.
Common mistake:
This meaning is less common than 'cannot decide'; context usually makes it clear (cold, fear, shaking).
Meaning
tremble or shake slightly
Collocations
dither with cold
|dither with fear
|hands dither
|voice dithers
|dither uncontrollably
Synonyms
tremble (the most direct and common word for shaking lightly)
|
shiver (often specifically from cold)
|
quiver (suggests a small, quick shaking movement)
Antonyms
steady (to be firm and not shaking)
|
stabilize (to make something stop shaking)
Themes
body
|emotions
Definition
to shake a little
To tremble or shake lightly, often from cold, fear, or excitement.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
4
ditherel
C2
Usage pattern:
dither [audio/image] | dither down to [bit depth]
Always dither the mix when exporting from 24-bit to 16-bit.
A mixet mindig dithereld, amikor 24 bitről 16 bitre exportálod.
The software can dither gradients to reduce banding.
A szoftver képes ditherelni az átmeneteket, hogy csökkentse a sávosodást.
I forgot to dither the file, and the quiet parts sound gritty.
Learner examples
I dither the audio before I export it.
Exportálás előtt ditherellem a hangot.
Common mistake:
Not related to indecision here; this is a technical meaning used in audio/graphics editing.
Meaning
digital noise to reduce artifacts
Collocations
dither the audio
|dither the image
|dither to 16-bit
|apply dither
|enable dithering
|disable dithering
|dithered output
|dithered signal
Synonyms
apply dither (same action, expressed as a verb phrase)
Antonyms
quantize without dithering (reduce bit depth/color depth without adding dither)
Themes
technology
|audio
|graphics
Definition
to add tiny noise to make digital sound or images smoother
In digital audio or images, to add a small amount of controlled noise before reducing bit depth or color depth, in order to lessen visible or audible artifacts such as banding or quantization distortion.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
add dither to [audio/image] | dither noise
A little dither can make low-level detail sound smoother after conversion.
Egy kevés dither simábbnak hallathatja a halk részleteket az átalakítás után.
Too much dither will raise the noise floor.
A túl sok dither megemeli a zajszintet.
The exporter lets you choose the type of dither.
Learner examples
This tool adds dither to the sound.
Ez az eszköz ditherzajt ad a hanghoz.
Common mistake:
In this sense, 'dither' is a thing (noise), not the act of hesitating.
Meaning
small noise used for dithering
Collocations
add dither
|dither noise
|a touch of dither
|triangular dither
|noise-shaped dither
|dither level
|dither settings
Synonyms
dither noise (explicitly names it as noise)
Antonyms
silence (absence of added noise in an audio context)
Themes
technology
|audio
|graphics
Definition
tiny noise added to improve digital quality
A small amount of controlled random noise added in digital processing to improve the perceived quality when reducing resolution, such as bit depth or color depth.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dither
IPA
GB/dˈɪðɚ/
US/dˈɪðɚ/
Syllables & stress
dith - er (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (dith)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: dither
- 3rd Person Singular: dithers
- Present Participle: dithering
- Past: dithered
Word family
Forms
dithers
verb
dithering
verb
dithered
verb
Core family
ditherer
noun
Related words
Expressions
all of a dither
1/ˈɔl əv ə dˈɪðɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
very flustered or agitated
very worried and upset
Examples
- She was all of a dither when she realized she’d missed the train.
- Don’t be all of a dither—it’s an easy fix.
- He got all of a dither before speaking in public.
Learner examples
- He is all of a dither about the meeting.
dither away
1/dˈɪðɚ əwˈeɪ/
phrasal verb
waste time by hesitating
to lose time because you can’t decide
Examples
- We dithered away the morning and missed our chance to leave early.
- Don’t dither away your weekend—pick a plan and go.
- He dithered away hours scrolling reviews instead of buying the laptop.
Learner examples
- I dithered away my time.
in a dither
1/ˈɪn ə dˈɪðɚ/
fixed phrase
nervous and unable to decide
worried and not sure what to do
Examples
- He was in a dither over which job offer to accept.
- I’m in a dither because I can’t find my passport.
- She got in a dither when the schedule changed.
Learner examples
- I am in a dither about my choice.