vacillate

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. verb be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
  2. verb move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern

Etymology

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

In classic literature

Synonyms

hover, vibrate, oscillate

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