ˈvasəˌlāt, usu -ād.+V intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Latin vacillatus, past participle of vacillare to sway, waver; akin to Middle Irish feccaid he kneels, Sanskrit vañcati he goes crooked — more at prevaricate
1.
a. : to sway through lack of equilibrium : waver , totter
b. : fluctuate , oscillate
2. : to waver in mind, will, or feeling : hesitate in choice of opinions or courses : be variable in one's emotions or judgments
faced this choice, vacillated, and plunged for one or other disagreeable alternative — Peter Wiles
throughout the book the professor vacillates between humility and arrogance — Therese Pol
Synonyms: see hesitate