The Greek verb anemizō means to drive or toss about by the wind. Occurring only once in the NT (James 1:6), it describes the doubter who is like a wave of the sea, 'driven and tossed by the wind.'
James uses anemizō to contrast faith-filled prayer with doubting prayer. The doubter is like sea waves — moved entirely by external forces, without internal stability. This single-word image is theologically rich: faith is an anchor (Hebrews 6:19), while doubt is what leaves the soul without one. The spiritually unstable person is 'double-minded' (dipsuchos) — constantly shifting between trust and fear. The NT calls believers to a rootedness in God that can withstand life's storms.