waffle
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waffle¹
- /ˈwɒf.əl/ Canadian, UK, Standard
- [wɒf.əl] ~ [wɒf.l̩] Canadian, UK, Standard
- /ˈwɑf.əl/ US
- [wɑf.əl] ~ [wɑf.l̩] US
- /ˈwɔf.əl/ Australia
- [wɔf.əl] ~ [wɔf.l̩] Australia
Rhymes with -ɒfəl
Where it comes from
The noun is borrowed from Dutch wafel (“waffle; wafer”), from Middle Dutch wafel, wafele, wavel, from Old Dutch *wāvila, from Proto-Germanic *wēbilǭ, *wēbilō, possibly related to Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”) (whence Dutch weven (“to weave”) and English weave; compare, from the same verbal root, German Wabe (“honeycomb”), given that the grid pattern of the traditional Dutch lent and holiday pastry strikingly resembles a honeycomb), and possibly reinforced by German Waffel (“waffle; wafer”). The English word is a doublet of wafer and gauffre.
The verb (“to smash”) derives from the manner in which batter is pressed into the shape of a waffle between the two halves of a waffle iron.
noun waffles
- A flat pastry pressed with a grid pattern, often eaten hot with butter and/or honey or syrup. The brunch was waffles with strawberries and whipped cream.
- In full potato waffle: a savoury flat potato cake with the same kind of grid pattern.
- A concrete slab used in flooring with a gridlike structure of ribs running at right angles to each other on its underside. Both joists and slab are cast in place to form a monolithic unit, integral with the supporting beams and columns. The joists form a characteristic waffle pattern on the underside. Structural design of joist construction: one-way or waffle flat slab […]
- A type of fabric woven with a honeycomb texture.
verb waffles · waffling · waffled
- To smash (something). The cab was waffled in between the two, Marsh never having a prayer or even a full comprehension of what happened to him. He was crushed flat, never even hearing the deafening screech of metal.
waffle²
- /ˈwɒf.əl/ Canadian, UK, Standard
- [wɒf.əl] ~ [wɒf.l̩] Canadian, UK, Standard
- /ˈwɑf.əl/ US
- [wɑf.əl] ~ [wɑf.l̩] US
- /ˈwɔf.əl/ Australia
- [wɔf.əl] ~ [wɔf.l̩] Australia
Rhymes with -ɒfəl
Where it comes from
The verb is borrowed from Scots waffle (“to waver, flap, flutter”), from waff (“to wag, wave; to flap, flutter”) + -le (diminutive or frequentative suffix), from Middle Scots waff (“signal; gust of wind; glimpse; a flapping, waving”), from Northern Middle English wafe, waffe, a variant of waven (“to move to and fro, sway; to stray, wander; (figuratively) to follow a weaving course; (figuratively) to vacillate, waver; to move something to and fro, wave”) (whence wave), from Old English wafian (“to wave”), from Proto-Germanic *wabōną, *wabjaną (“to sway; to wander”), from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”).
Regarding sense 5 (“to speak or write (something) at length without any clear aim or point”), compare Old English wæflian (“to talk foolishly”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Germanic *babalōną (“to babble, chatter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰā- (“to say”) and/or Proto-Indo-European *baba- (“to talk vaguely; to mumble”). The Oxford English Dictionary does not derive the English word waffle from this Old English word. Compare also Dutch wauwelen (“to linger, waffle, jabber, gab, chat”).
The noun is derived from the verb.
verb waffles · waffling · waffled
-
To speak or write evasively or vaguely.
He waffled on for much of the earnings call without addressing the fall in share price.
Similar: beat around the bush
-
Of a bird: to move in a side-to-side motion while descending before landing.
The geese waffled as they approached the water.
Similar: whiffle
- Of an aircraft or motor vehicle: to travel in a slow and unhurried manner.
-
To be indecisive about something; to dither, to vacillate, to waver.
I waffled between going to the deposition and going to the doctor's. Wishing Barbara was there, I decided to call the doctor afterward.
Similar: blow hot and cold
-
Often followed by on: to speak or write (something) at length without any clear aim or point; to ramble.
Unless you have a great line in gags or repartee don't waffle on aimlessly to your audience, or make in-jokes among yourselves, the band or the compere/DJ.
Similar: babble, bat the breeze, blab, blabber, blather, carp, chat, chatter, chew the fat, chew the rag, chinwag, chit-chat
- To hold horizontally and rotate (one's hand) back and forth in a gesture of ambivalence or vacillation. “[…] You get anything useful on the background checks?” / He waffled his hand. “Nothing like what you brought back, but still some interesting notes.[…]”
waffle³
- /ˈwɒf.əl/ Canadian, UK, Standard
- [wɒf.əl] ~ [wɒf.l̩] Canadian, UK, Standard
- /ˈwɑf.əl/ US
- [wɑf.əl] ~ [wɑf.l̩] US
- /ˈwɔf.əl/ Australia
- [wɔf.əl] ~ [wɔf.l̩] Australia
Rhymes with -ɒfəl
Where it comes from
Possibly from waff (“(dialectal) to bark, woof”) (imitative of a dog’s yelp) + -le (diminutive or frequentative suffix).
verb waffles · waffling · waffled
- Of a dog: to bark with a high pitch like a puppy, or in muffled manner.
noun waffles
- The high-pitched sound made by a young dog; also, a muffled bark.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: bull, bullshit, fake, house, sway, parade, verbiage, gossip, talk, waffle cone, fawaffle, gaufrette, stroopwafel, wafer, croffle, cake
Translations
Every language
noun flat pastry pressed with a grid pattern
| Español | waffle, wafle, gofre, guafle |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 와플 wapeul |
| 日本語 | ワッフル waffuru |
| 中文 | 華夫 /华夫 huáfū, 窩夫 /窝夫 wōfū, 鬆餅 /松饼 sōngbǐng |
| Português | waffle, gofre |
| Français | gaufre |
| Deutsch | Waffel |
| Italiano | ferratella |
| Ελληνικά | βάφλα váfla |
| Русский | ва́фля váflja |
| العربية | وَافِل wāfil |
verb to speak or write evasively or vaguely
| हिन्दी | डगमगाना ḍagamgānā |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | ausweichen, um den heißen Brei herumreden |
verb of an aircraft or motor vehicle: to travel in a slow and unhurried manner
| Deutsch | gemächlich dahingleiten |
|---|
verb to speak or write (something) at length without any clear aim or point — see also ramble
| Español | divagar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | ごちゃごちゃ言う gochagocha iu |
| हिन्दी | हड़बड़ाना haṛabṛānā |
| Português | palrar |
| Deutsch | schwafeln |
| Italiano | blaterare ciarlare cianciare |
| Русский | лить во́ду litʹ vódu, болта́ть по́пусту boltátʹ pópustu, трепа́ться без то́лку trepátʹsja bez tólku |
noun (often lengthy) speech or writing that is evasive or vague, or pretentious
| 한국어 | 거만한 말 geomanhan mal |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | むだ口 mudaguchi |
| Português | palrança, palração, palha |
| Français | langue de bois |
| Deutsch | Geschwafel, leere Phrasen |
Talk about this word "waffle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/waffle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. waffle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/waffle "waffle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/waffle.Cite this
@misc{waffle_2026,
title = {waffle},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/waffle},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
