Dictionary.com
definitions

vacillate

[ vas-uh-leyt ]
/ ˈvæs əˌleɪt /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vacillate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), vac·il·lat·ed, vac·il·lat·ing.

to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute: His tendency to vacillate makes him a poor leader.
to sway unsteadily; waver; totter; stagger.
to oscillate or fluctuate.

RELATED WORDS

waffle, seesaw, waver, fluctuate, dither, oscillate, hesitate, hover, reel, rock, alternate, straddle, stagger, pause, swing, hedge, sway, change, shilly-shally, whiffle

Nearby words

  1. vaccinization,
  2. vaccinology,
  3. vachel,
  4. vacherin,
  5. vacillant,
  6. vacillating,
  7. vacillation,
  8. vacillatory,
  9. vacterl syndrome,
  10. vacua

Origin of vacillate

1590–1600; < Latin vacillātus (past participle of vacillāre to sway to and fro); see -ate1
Related formsvac·il·la·tor, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for vacillate

British Dictionary definitions for vacillate

vacillate

/ (ˈvæsɪˌleɪt) /

verb (intr)

to fluctuate in one's opinions; be indecisive
to sway from side to side physically; totter or waver
Derived Formsvacillation, nounvacillator, noun

Word Origin for vacillate

C16: from Latin vacillāre to sway, of obscure origin
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
Word Origin and History for vacillate

vacillate

v.

1590s, "to sway unsteadily," from Latin vacillatum, from vacillare (see vacillation). Meaning "to waver between two opinions or courses" is recorded from 1620s. Related: Vacillated; vacillates; vacillating.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper