Hem And Haw (Verb)
Meaning
Utter `hems' and `haws'; indicated hesitation; "He hemmed and hawed when asked to address the crowd".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- She hemmed and hawed when her boss asked her to meet the deadline a week earlier than planned.
- The politician hemmed and hawed during the interview when questioned about his stance on the new tax reform.
- When asked if he would move to another country for work, he hemmed and hawed for a few moments before giving a vague answer.
- She always seemed to hem and haw whenever we asked her to reveal her favorite movie.
- After taking a few seconds to hem and haw, he finally mustered the courage to ask for her phone number.