Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To sway from one side to the other; oscillate.
- v. To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another. See Synonyms at hesitate.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To waver; move one way and the other; reel; stagger.
- To fluctuate in mind or opinion; waver; be irresolute or inconstant.
- Synonyms and Waver, Oscillate, etc. (see fluctuate), sway.
- To hesitate.
Wiktionary
- v. To sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate.
- v. To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To move one way and the other; to reel or stagger; to waver.
- v. To fluctuate in mind or opinion; to be unsteady or inconstant; to waver.
WordNet 3.0
- v. be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
- v. move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern
Etymologies
- Latin vacillāre, vacillāt-, to waver.
Examples
“The word vacillate means “to be indecisive … to sway from side to side.””
“Versions of the words "vacillate" and "indecisive" were much more in evidence on the McCain campaign conference call this morning than in past calls.”
“And let's face it - as military family members we often vacillate between reaching out and pulling back abruptly when no one grabs the hand we've extended.”
“I vacillate between dark and amusingly self-absorbed …”
“You seem to vacillate between “this is my preference, i.e. what is good for me” and “this is what is good for everyone”.”
The Volokh Conspiracy » Sex Education, Dirty Words, and the Due Process Clause
“A set of forks, flanking a plate of fish, vacillate between threatening weapons and frail hands.”
“OrenWithAnE: Every time we have this discussion you vacillate between “the US has nothing to fear from the ICC” and “it would defeat the point to exempt the US from the ICC”.”
The Volokh Conspiracy » “Garzon and the Trouble with International Law”
“Every time we have this discussion you vacillate between “the US has nothing to fear from the ICC” and “it would defeat the point to exempt the US from the ICC”.”
The Volokh Conspiracy » “Garzon and the Trouble with International Law”
“And after watching his career vacillate so unpredictably for so many years, what is Drama's next move after the TV movie you know, the one that Vince had to buy for him?”
“Mommy maybe we shouldn't read anymore" I vacillate about whether we are helping or handicapping our kids by sheltering them.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘vacillate’.
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@vcb.etym.prjct - SAT Catchall
brainfood for my hungry, eager pupils
iconoclast, glacial, agnostic, histrionic, treacly, contemptuous, captious, bombastic, bombast, perfidy, quiescence, sordid and 148 more...
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SAT Words
But only the ones that I don't already know.
abase, abash, abominate, abstruse, acclivity, accolade, accost, adroit, adulate, adulterate, adumbrate, affray and 241 more...
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Words build meanings from origins( etymology )
These come from gamma meditation ,I think.
discursive, exogenous, machinations, purportedly, sumptuous, congruity, cantankerous, incongruous, festoon, hessian, ratiocinative, stratigraphic and 837 more...
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Words for Anna
exacerbate, pixilate, obviate, placate, titilate, interpolate, perambulate, vacillate, abnegate, indignant, perpetrate, conjure and 7 more...
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Philosophic , etymology
every major discipline has uniquely developed esoteric nomenclature to facilitate interdisciplinary dissemination
quale , qualia, elegy, tacet, lexicon, annunciate, caste, eros, contrive, purlicue, irony, venacular, dilapidate and 66 more...
blafferty This word feels weak-chinned and sounds like the motion of your hand when you're saying "kinda, maybe, I don't know." May 25, 2009