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URL: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hover

⇱ HOVER Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster


transitive verb

: 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.β€”πŸ‘ Image
Kelly Heyboer

intransitive verb

1
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 β€¦β€”πŸ‘ Image
Tennessee Williams
The country hovers on the brink of famine.

hover

2 of 2

noun

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.β€”πŸ‘ Image
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.β€”πŸ‘ Image
Breck Henderson

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 Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Video from the rescue shows the helicopter descending near the Seneca River and then hovering over the water, where the dog is struggling to keep its head above the surface. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Karaban, whose numbers have always hovered in the same range, saw the biggest dip of his career. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
Often the feelings of displacement hover in the background, as in my novel about Henry James, The Master, or are much sharper and painful, as in my novel about Thomas Mann, The Magician. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
In the video, Kid Rock is seen standing near the pool as the aircraft hovers briefly before flying away. β€”πŸ‘ Image
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hover

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English hoveren, frequentative of hoven to hover

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1513, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hover was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

β€œHover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hover. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

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

More from Merriam-Webster on hover

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