vacillate

Advancedzipf 1.77

Pronunciation

/ˈvæsɪleɪt/(VAS-il-ayt)

Part of speech

verbformal

Chinese

犹豫不决；摇摆不定

Definition

To waver between different opinions or actions; to be unable to decide.

Word family

  • vacillation/ˌvæsɪˈleɪʃən/(n)犹豫

Collocations

  • vacillate between
  • stop vacillating
  • constant vacillation
  • vacillate on a decision

Examples

  1. 1.He vacillated between accepting and rejecting the job offer for weeks. (went back and forth)
  2. 2.The government's vacillation on policy has frustrated the public. (noun: indecision)

Synonyms

  • waver/ˈweɪvə/— be unsteady, hesitate
  • hesitate/ˈhɛzɪteɪt/— pause before deciding
  • oscillate/ˈɒsɪleɪt/— swing between extremes

Etymology

from Latin "vacillare" = to sway, totter — swaying back and forth like an unsteady object