Meaning & use
hover
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To stay in one place in the air, floating or flying without moving forward or landing.
Grammar: No object; often followed by over or above: a bird hovering above the field.
Patterns
- hover over something
- hover above something
A hummingbird hovered beside the red flower.
The helicopter hovered over the field for several minutes.
Mist hovered above the lake at dawn.
verbintransitive
To wait or stay close to someone or something, often because you are nervous, unsure, or watching closely.
Grammar: No object; usually followed by near, around, or over: a waiter hovering near the table.
Patterns
- hover around something
- hover over someone
The waiter hovered near our table, waiting for us to finish.
Stop hovering over me while I write this email.
She hovered at the door, unsure whether to knock.
verbintransitive
To stay at or near a particular level or amount without changing much.
Grammar: No object; often followed by around or between: prices hovering around ten dollars.
Patterns
- hover around something
- hover between something and something
The temperature hovered around freezing all week.
Her grades hovered just above the passing mark.
Interest rates have hovered near two percent for a year.
verbintransitivecomputing
To place the pointer of a computer mouse over an item on the screen without clicking it.
Grammar: No object; usually followed by over: hover over the icon.
Patterns
- hover over something
Hover over the image to see a larger version.
A small tip appears when you hover over the button.
If you hover the cursor over the link, the address shows at the bottom.
Word forms
| third person singular | hovers |
|---|---|
| past tense | hovered |
| past participle | hovered |
| -ing form | hovering |
Common combinations
- hover over
- A drone hovered over the stadium during the game.
- hover above
- Dark clouds hovered above the valley.
- hover around
- Reporters hovered around the door waiting for news.
- hover in the air
- The kite seemed to hover in the air for a moment.
- hover on the brink
- The small company hovered on the brink of collapse.
- hover in the background
- His mother hovered in the background during the interview.
Synonyms and how they differ
- linger
- Linger suggests staying a little longer than expected, while hover suggests staying close and watchful, often in the air.
- float
- Float means drifting lightly on air or water, but hover means holding a fairly fixed position, often by effort.
- loiter
- Loiter describes standing around with no clear purpose and often sounds suspicious, whereas hover can be caring or anxious.
- fluctuate
- Fluctuate means to rise and fall repeatedly, whereas hover around a number means staying close to it.
Opposites
Word family
- hovering adjective
- staying close in a way that feels watchful or overprotective
- hovercraft noun
- a vehicle that travels over land or water on a cushion of air
- hoverboard noun
- a self-balancing board that carries a rider along the ground
Commonly confused: hover or hoover?
hover vs hoover
In British English, Hoover is a brand name often used as a verb meaning to vacuum, and it has nothing to do with staying in the air.
Practice
Interest rates have ___ around three percent for most of the year.
Choose one answer.
Hover around a number means staying close to it without moving much. Float and linger do not fit this pattern, and land suggests arriving once.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hover”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.