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

Other Word Forms

• vacillation noun
• vacillator noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of vacillate¹

C16: from Latin vacillāre to sway, of obscure origin

Synonym Study

See waver ¹.

Example Sentences

A towering outside hitter, he was known for his ability to vacillate between power and finesse.

From Los Angeles Times

His children, Kelly and Jack, vacillated between showering him with affection and berating him for not catering to their whims.

From Salon

The American people appear to be vacillating between learned helplessness and mass disinhibition.

From Salon

It was the first in a series of scary scenes for Brinkley, whose feelings for Joel vacillated between veneration, unconditional love and abject fear.

From Los Angeles Times

He attributed the vacillating accounts to Phillip’s plight as a witness who “saw his mother murdered before his very eyes” but still loved the killer.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dither 
• fluctuate 
• oscillate 
• seesaw 
• waffle 
• waver