Irresolute means unable to make a decision or stick with one. When you're irresolute, you waver back and forth, changing your mind repeatedly because you can't commit to a choice.

Picture a student standing in the lunch line, first reaching for pizza, then pulling back to consider chicken nuggets, then eyeing the pizza again, unable to decide what to eat while the line backs up behind them. That's being irresolute: getting stuck in indecision, unable to move forward even when a choice needs to be made.

The word comes from “resolute,” which means determined and firm. Add the prefix “ir” (meaning “not”), and you get its opposite: someone who lacks that firmness of purpose. An irresolute leader might announce one plan on Monday, switch to another on Tuesday, and reconsider both by Wednesday, leaving everyone confused about which direction to follow.

Being irresolute differs from being thoughtful or cautious. Thoughtful people gather information before deciding. Irresolute people gather information but still can't choose, or they choose but immediately second-guess themselves. A captain who studies the weather before setting sail is careful; a captain who can't decide whether to sail even after checking all the conditions is irresolute. That uncertainty can be costly when decisions need to be made.