interjection / verb
haw
HAW/hɔː/
A sound of hesitation, or speaking hesitantly or evasively.
He hems and haws when I ask for a clear answer.
Etymology
An imitation of inarticulate hesitation, as in hem and haw. It is unrelated to haw, a hawthorn fruit.
In context
hums and haw a little
More examples
- We hemmed and hawed before choosing a paint color.
- Stop hemming and hawing and tell me what happened.
- “Haw, I don’t know,” he says when asked for an answer.
Forms
haw · haws · hawed · hawing
Similar words
- hesitate
- Hesitate covers pauses in speech or action, not just speech.
- equivocate
- Equivocate means using ambiguous language deliberately to avoid committing.