Meaning & Definition of word "Er"

Er

ər

1. A suffix used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs.
- Example: She is taller than her brother.
2. A suffix used to denote a person who performs a specific action or is associated with a specific profession.
- Example: He is a teacher at the local school.
3. A slang term used to indicate hesitation, similar to 'um' or 'uh'.
- Example: I was thinking, er, maybe we should wait.

1. Used to express hesitation or uncertainty.
- Example: Er, I’m not sure if that’s the right answer.

Derived from the Middle English 'er', likely of imitative origin.

er, you know:

used to imply uncertainty or hesitation.

er, let me think:

an expression before taking time to consider.

er, can you repeat that?:

used to ask for something to be repeated during uncertainty.

um:

used to express hesitation.

ah:

expressing realization or understanding.

Meaning: a casual filler in conversation, indicating thought

Example Sentence: I was, like, er, trying to figure it out.

Meaning: to signal a mistake or recall an error in context

Example Sentence: Er, I meant to say it was great!