vacillate

verb
/ˈvæ.sə.leɪt/

Etymology

From Latin vacillātum, supine form of vacillō (“sway, waver”). By surface analysis, Latin vacill- + -ate.

  1. derived from vacillātum

Definitions

  1. To sway unsteadily from one side to the other

    To sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate.

    • Its [the barometer's] normal register in the Paumotus [the Tuamotus] was 29.90, and it was quite customary to see it vacillate between 29.85 and 30.00, or even 30.05; […]
  2. To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.

    • Though it is vital to be alert for circumstances which require a change of plan, it is fatal to vacillate.
    • On the streets of Berlin, Ruth and her compatriots vacillated "between hope and despair."

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for vacillate. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA