Standard Lemma guide

hover

name · noun · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈhɒvə/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈhʌvə/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈhʌvɚ/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈhɑvɚ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Jersey: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈhɔvə/
  • Australian: /ˈhavə/
  • rhymes with -ɒvə(ɹ)
  • rhymes with -ʌvə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: HH AH1 V ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An act, or the state, of remaining stationary in the air or some other place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A flock of birds fluttering in the air in one place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An act, or the state, of being suspended; a suspension.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A cover; a protection; a shelter; specifically, an overhanging bank or stone under which fish can shelter; also, a shelter for hens brooding their eggs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Southern-England

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To keep (something, such as an aircraft) in a stationary state in the air.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

Of a bird: to shelter (chicks) under its body and wings; (by extension) of a thing: to cover or surround (something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

Of a bird or insect: to flap (its wings) so it can remain stationary in the air.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To remain stationary or float in the air.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The hummingbird hovered by the plant.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

Sometimes followed by over: to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

Examples

  • His pen hovered above the paper.
  • The strange man hovered outside the gents’ toilet.
  • The visitors were hovering at the door, seemingly unwilling to enter.
  • Some helicopter parents weren’t so much dropping off their kids as hovering over them until the event started.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wasp around

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To be indecisive or uncertain; to vacillate, to waver.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

Examples

  • Filling in the voting form, I hovered between Labour and Liberal Democrat.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

Chiefly followed by over: to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over something on a screen such as a hyperlink or icon without clicking, so as to produce a result (such as the appearance of a tooltip).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • A tooltip appears when you hover over this link.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To travel in a hovercraft as it moves above a water surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

hang in the air; fly or be suspended above

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fly, wing

Narrower terms: poise

15

verb

Meaning 15

be suspended in the air, as if in defiance of gravity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The guru claimed that he could levitate

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: levitate

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

move to and fro

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The shy student lingered in the corner

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: linger

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hesitate, waver, waffle

17

verb

Meaning 17

be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He oscillates between accepting the new position and retirement

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: vibrate, vacillate, oscillate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hesitate, waver, waffle

Narrower terms: shillyshally

18

verb

Meaning 18

hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The terrible vision brooded over her all day long

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brood, loom, bulk large

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hang

Narrower terms: overshadow, dominate, eclipse

History

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English hoveren (“to float in the air, hover; to stay”), probably from hoven (“hover; of a bird: to fly high in the air, soar”) (which it displaced) + -er- (frequentative suffix). Hoven is probably derived from Old English *hōfian, from hōfon, the plural past indicative form of hebban (“to lift, raise”), from Proto-West Germanic *habbjan, from Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to lift; to heave”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *keh2p- (“to hold, seize”). The English word is analysable as hove (“(obsolete) to remain suspended, float, hover; to linger, wait”) + -er (frequentative suffix). The noun is derived from the verb.

Across languages

Translations

181 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: leijuminen — act, or the state, of remaining stationary in the air or some other place
  • Finnish: leijunta — act, or the state, of remaining stationary in the air or some other place
  • German: Schwebezustand — act, or the state, of remaining stationary in the air or some other place
  • Finnish: paikallaan pysyvä lintuparvi — flock of birds fluttering in the air in one place
  • Finnish: leijuva lintuparvi — flock of birds fluttering in the air in one place
  • German: Auffliegen (Geflügel) — flock of birds fluttering in the air in one place
  • Finnish: kieleke — overhanging bank or stone under which fish can shelter
  • German: Versteck (hinter Steinen) — overhanging bank or stone under which fish can shelter
  • Afrikaans: sweef — to keep (something, such as an aircraft) in a stationary state in the air
  • Dutch: omzweven — to keep (something, such as an aircraft) in a stationary state in the air
  • Finnish: leijuttaa — to keep (something, such as an aircraft) in a stationary state in the air
  • German: schwebend halten — to keep (something, such as an aircraft) in a stationary state in the air
  • Greenlandic: niviorpaa — to keep (something, such as an aircraft) in a stationary state in the air
  • Italian: librarsi — to keep (something, such as an aircraft) in a stationary state in the air
  • Finnish: suojella siivillään — of a bird: to shelter (chicks) under its body and wings
  • Finnish: kätkeä siipiensä alle — of a bird: to shelter (chicks) under its body and wings
  • German: behüten — of a bird: to shelter (chicks) under its body and wings
  • Afrikaans: sweef — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Arabic: حَامَ (ḥāma) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Baatonum: bɛɛri — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Belarusian: луна́ць (lunácʹ) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Belarusian: віта́ць (vitácʹ) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Central Bikol: lupád — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Bulgarian: нося се (nosja se) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Bulgarian: рея се (reja se) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Catalan: zumzejar — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Cebuano: langaw — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Chinese Cantonese: 摟 /搂 (lau1) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Chinese Mandarin: 翱翔 (áoxiáng) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Chinese Mandarin: 高飛 /高飞 (gāofēi) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Chinese Mandarin: 懸停 /悬停 (xuántíng) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Chinese Mandarin: 㝼 (yū) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Czech: vznášet — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Dutch: omzweven — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Dutch: zweven — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Esperanto: flugpendi — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Esperanto: ŝvebi — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Estonian: hõljuma — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Finnish: leijailla — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Finnish: leijua — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Finnish: lekuttaa — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Finnish: lekutella — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • French: éventiller — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • French: planer — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Galician: barutar — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Galician: pairar — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Galician: peneirar — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Galician: peneirarse — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Galician: atariñar — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Galician: tordear — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Ge'ez: ጸለለ (ṣälälä) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • German: rütteln — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • German: schweben — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • German: stillstehen (in der Luft) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Central Franconian: schwevve — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Greek: αιωρούμαι (aioroúmai) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Greek: αλαφροζυγιάζομαι (alafrozygiázomai) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Greenlandic: agiorpoq — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Greenlandic: qangatavoq — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Hebrew: רִחֵף (rikhéf) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Icelandic: sveima — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Icelandic: svífa — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Ido: flugetar — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Indonesian: layang — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Irish: ainligh — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Italian: volteggiare — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Latin: oberrō — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Latin: pendeō — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Latin: volitō — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Latvian: peldēt — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Latvian: stāvēt — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Limburgish: schwéëve — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Luxembourgish: schwiewen — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Macedonian: ле́бди (lébdi) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Malagasy: mihevaheva — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Maltese: sseqqer — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Māori: tīonioni — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Māori: topaki — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sveve — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: sveve — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Occitan: flotejar — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Occitan: planar — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Polish: zawisać — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Polish: zawisnąć — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Portuguese: pairar — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Romanian: pluti — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Russian: нависа́ть (navisátʹ) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Russian: пари́ть (parítʹ) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Russian: порха́ть (porxátʹ) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Russian: ре́ять (réjatʹ) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Russian: вита́ть (vitátʹ) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Russian: ви́ться (vítʹsja) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Russian: зависа́ть (zavisátʹ) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Russian: зави́снуть (zavísnutʹ) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Scots: hover — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Serbo-Croatian: лѐбдети — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Serbo-Croatian: лѐбдјети — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Serbo-Croatian: lèbdeti — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Serbo-Croatian: lèbdjeti — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Spanish: cernerse — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Spanish: levitar — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Spanish: revolotear — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Spanish: revoletear — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Swedish: sväva — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Thai: ร่อน (rɔ̂n) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Turkish: havada durmak — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Turkish: uçmak — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Ukrainian: ширя́ти (šyrjáty) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Vietnamese: lượn — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Welsh: hofran — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Yiddish: שוועבן (shvebn) — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • ǃXóõ: ǀxâã — to remain stationary or float in the air
  • Chinese Mandarin: 彽徊 (dīhuái) — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 盤旋 /盘旋 (pánxuán) — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 縈繞 /萦绕 (yíngrào) — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Finnish: norkoilla — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • French: faire du sur-place — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • German: verweilen — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • German: rumhängen — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Italian: aggirarsi — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Italian: attardarsi — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Italian: gironzolare — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Italian: indugiare — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Italian: ronzàre — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Italian: ronzare intorno — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Japanese: 揉み合う (momiau) — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Korean: 맴돌다 (maemdolda) — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Latin: circumvolitō — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Latin: impendeō — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Latin: pendeō — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Macedonian: се вр́ти (se vŕti) — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Macedonian: се вр́тка (se vŕtka) — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Portuguese: voltear — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Russian: болта́ться (boltátʹsja) — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Russian: ме́шкать (méškatʹ) — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Russian: слоня́ться (slonjátʹsja) — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Russian: верте́ться (vertétʹsja) — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Spanish: rondar — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Vietnamese: luẩn quẩn — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Vietnamese: chờn vờn — to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner
  • Bulgarian: колебая се (kolebaja se) — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Czech: balancovat — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Finnish: epäröidä — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Finnish: häilyä — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Finnish: olla kahden vaiheilla — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • French: hésiter — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Galician: atariñar — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Galician: bambanear — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Galician: bambear — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Galician: dubidar — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Galician: musear — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Galician: nutar — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Galician: tordear — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • German: zögern — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • German: unsicher sein — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Greek: αιωρούμαι (aioroúmai) — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Italian: esitare — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Italian: essere in bilico — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Italian: essere indeciso — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Italian: essere sospeso — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Italian: pencolare — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Macedonian: се ко́леба (se kóleba) — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Portuguese: hesitar — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Portuguese: vacilar — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Romanian: oscila — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Russian: колеба́ться (kolebátʹsja) — to be indecisive or uncertain — see also vacillate, waver, doubt, hesitate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 懸停 /悬停 (xuántíng) — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • Czech: najet kurzorem na hyperodkaz — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • Finnish: kohdistaa — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • Finnish: osoittaa — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • German: bewegen — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • German: fahren (with über) — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • German: positionieren — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • Italian: passare il cursore sopra — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • Norwegian: oversveve — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • Romanian: plasa cursorul peste link — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • Spanish: colocar el puntero sobre — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • Vietnamese: rê chuột — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • Vietnamese: rê con trỏ — to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over (something on a screen) without clicking, so as to produce a result
  • Finnish: kulkea ilmatyynyaluksella — to travel in a hovercraft as it moves above a water surface
  • German: schweben (entlang, über) — to travel in a hovercraft as it moves above a water surface