Nearby Words

vacillate

[vas-uh-leyt] Origin

vac·il·late

[vas-uh-leyt]
verb (used without object), -lat·ed, -lat·ing.
1.
to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute: His tendency to vacillate makes him a poor leader.
2.
to sway unsteadily; waver; totter; stagger.
3.
to oscillate or fluctuate.

Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin vacillātus (past participle of vacillāre to sway to and fro); see -ate1

vac·il·la·tor, noun


1. hesitate. See waver. 2. reel.

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World English Dictionary
vacillate (ˈvæsɪˌleɪt)
 
vb
1.  to fluctuate in one's opinions; be indecisive
2.  to sway from side to side physically; totter or waver
 
[C16: from Latin vacillāre to sway, of obscure origin]
 
vacil'lation
 
n
 
'vacillator
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

vacillate
1590s, "to sway unsteadily," from L. 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
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