Meaning & use
waffle
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A crisp batter cake with a grid pattern of indentations, often eaten with syrup or toppings.
Grammar: Countable; you can have one waffle or several waffles.
Patterns
- a waffle
- waffles with syrup
I ordered a waffle with strawberries and whipped cream.
The children ate waffles for breakfast.
This waffle iron makes thick Belgian waffles.
verbintransitiveinformal
To speak or write vaguely, avoiding a clear or firm decision.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'on' or 'about': He waffled on about the issue.
Patterns
- waffle on about something
- waffle about something
Stop waffling and give me a straight answer.
The politician waffled on the question of taxes.
She waffled for ten minutes without saying anything useful.
Word forms
| plural | waffles |
|---|---|
| third person singular | waffles |
| past tense | waffled |
| past participle | waffled |
| -ing form | waffling |
Common combinations
- waffle iron
- Heat the waffle iron before pouring in the batter.
- Belgian waffle
- Belgian waffles are known for their deep pockets.
- waffle on
- He tends to waffle on when he's nervous.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pancake
- A flat, round cake cooked on a griddle; waffles are cooked in a special iron and have a grid pattern.
- equivocate
- A formal verb meaning to avoid committing to a clear opinion; waffle is more informal and often implies talking at length.
Word family
- waffler noun
- A person who waffles, especially in speech or writing.
Commonly confused: waffle or wafer?
waffle vs wafer
A wafer is a thin, crisp biscuit; a waffle is a thicker batter cake with a grid pattern.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'waffle' correctly as a verb?
Choose one answer.
As a verb, waffle means to speak vaguely or at length, often with 'on'. The other options use it as if it meant to cook, cover, or wave, which are not its meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “waffle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.