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View synonyms for vacillate

vacillate

[ vas-uh-leyt ]

verb (used without object)

vacillated, vacillating.
  1. to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute:

    His tendency to vacillate makes him a poor leader.

    Synonyms: hesitate

  2. to sway unsteadily; waver; totter; stagger.

    Synonyms: reel

  3. to oscillate or fluctuate.

vacillate

/ ˈvæsɪˌleɪt /

verb

  1. to fluctuate in one's opinions; be indecisive
  2. to sway from side to side physically; totter or waver
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˌvacilˈlation, noun
  • ˈvacilˌlator, noun
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Other Words From

  • vac·il·la·tor noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of vacillate1

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin vacillātus (past participle of vacillāre “to sway to and fro”); -ate 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of vacillate1

C16: from Latin vacillāre to sway, of obscure origin
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Synonym Study

See waver 1.

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vacillantvacillating

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