hovered; hovering
ˈhə-v(ə-)riŋ 
ˈhä-
: to position (a computer cursor) over something (such as an image or icon) without selecting it
Many in the class hovered their cursors over words and icons for long periods before committing to clicking their mouse.—
Kelly Heyboer
Kelly Heyboer1
a
: to hang fluttering in the air or on the wing
A hawk hovered overhead.
b
: to remain suspended over a place or object
a hummingbird hovering over the flowers
Helicopters hovered above us.
2
a
: to move to and fro near a place : fluctuate around a given point
Unemployment hovered around 10 percent.
b
: to be in a state of uncertainty, irresolution, or suspense
… hovering uncomfortably behind a cigar …—Tennessee Williams
Tennessee WilliamsThe country hovers on the brink of famine.
plural hovers
: the act or state of hovering in the air
Ospreys were most successful hunting from a hover and spent more of their hunting time doing it that way.—John P. Wiley, Jr.
John P. Wiley, Jr.After a careful check outside to ensure that his flight path was clear, one of the pilots lifted his helicopter to a hover, then maneuvered to the middle of the valley.—Breck Henderson
Breck HendersonSynonyms
Examples of hover in a Sentence
Verb
Watch as the hummingbird hovers over the flowers.
Bees hovered around the hive.
Waiters hovered near our table.
nervous mothers hovering over their children
Unemployment rates were hovering around 10 percent.
Temperatures will continue to hover around freezing.
The patient was hovering between life and death.
The country hovers on the brink of famine.
Recent Examples on the WebRocio Fabbro, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
Prior to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, support for NATO membership hovered at 20%.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2024
The culprit was the main storm clouds overhead, which became very unstable as their temperature — at around 25,000 feet — hovered at nearly minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024
The green subdial, along with day and date rings, also hover dramatically above the dial.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024
High temperatures have mostly hovered in the 50s, while nighttime lows have mainly settled in the 30s — cool enough to preserve the blossoms but not cold enough to damage them.
—Kevin Ambrose, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Annual coal exports from the Port of Baltimore have typically hovered around 20 million short tons over the past five years, with a notable exception occurring in 2020 due to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Last March, for comparison, the price hovered in the $20,000 range.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
In Michigan, the death toll hovered around 3,000 during those years.
—Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 26 Mar. 2024
Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024
But other than that, the hover mode doesn’t have much to offer.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 9 Mar. 2024
The testbed will be used to evaluate the hover performance of the HEX demonstrator.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024
Yet, while violent crime hovers near historic lows, a combination of spiraling street homelessness, record-breaking overdose deaths and spiking property crime has left many voters saying safety is their top issue.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024
One week ago, during a simple hover test flight, NASA lost contact with Ingenuity for several hours.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 25 Jan. 2024
Still, Titan’s average surface temperature hovers around -290 degrees Fahrenheit, making liquid water on the surface impossible.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
Patients 40 to 54 accounted for 19% of the procedures, which is a large jump from the 30 to 39 demographic at 2%, but pretty consistent with data from the last three years (the 40 to 54 group hovers around 20% of total facelifts performed).
—Kirbie Johnson, Allure, 6 Mar. 2024
For most financial services CISOs, this metric hovers around 10.5%.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
The fall has left the company’s market capitalization hovering around $5 billion, down from highs of more than $8 billion during its first trading week.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
Prior to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, support for NATO membership hovered at 20%.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2024
The culprit was the main storm clouds overhead, which became very unstable as their temperature — at around 25,000 feet — hovered at nearly minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024
The green subdial, along with day and date rings, also hover dramatically above the dial.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024
High temperatures have mostly hovered in the 50s, while nighttime lows have mainly settled in the 30s — cool enough to preserve the blossoms but not cold enough to damage them.
—Kevin Ambrose, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Annual coal exports from the Port of Baltimore have typically hovered around 20 million short tons over the past five years, with a notable exception occurring in 2020 due to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Last March, for comparison, the price hovered in the $20,000 range.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
In Michigan, the death toll hovered around 3,000 during those years.
—Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 26 Mar. 2024
Noun
Here's how to celebrate the day in metro Phoenix
To the southeast, the hazy silhouettes of the Superstition Mountains dominated by Weavers Needle and the Flatiron hover over the Salt River basin and Tonto National Forest.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024
But other than that, the hover mode doesn’t have much to offer.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 9 Mar. 2024
The testbed will be used to evaluate the hover performance of the HEX demonstrator.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024
Yet, while violent crime hovers near historic lows, a combination of spiraling street homelessness, record-breaking overdose deaths and spiking property crime has left many voters saying safety is their top issue.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024
One week ago, during a simple hover test flight, NASA lost contact with Ingenuity for several hours.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 25 Jan. 2024
Still, Titan’s average surface temperature hovers around -290 degrees Fahrenheit, making liquid water on the surface impossible.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
Patients 40 to 54 accounted for 19% of the procedures, which is a large jump from the 30 to 39 demographic at 2%, but pretty consistent with data from the last three years (the 40 to 54 group hovers around 20% of total facelifts performed).
—Kirbie Johnson, Allure, 6 Mar. 2024
For most financial services CISOs, this metric hovers around 10.5%.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hover.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hover
Cite this Entry
“Hover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hover. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hovered; hovering
-(ə-)riŋ
1
a
: to hang fluttering in the air or on the wing
a bird hovered overhead
b
: to remain floating over a place or object
2
a
: to move to and fro near a place
waiters hovered about
b
: to be in an undecided or uncertain state
hovering between life and death
hover
noun
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