vacillate
5 synonyms and 1 antonym for vacillate, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To move or rock unevenly from one side to another.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
2. verb
To keep changing your mind between different choices or opinions, unable to settle on one.
“On the streets of Berlin, Ruth and her compatriots vacillated "between hope and despair."”
Opposites
Etymology
Comes from Latin vacillātum, the supine form of vacillō (“sway, waver”); by surface analysis, it breaks down as Latin vacill- + -ate.
Full origin of vacillate →