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; […]
Source: wiktionary
Vacillate
//ˈvæ.sə.leɪt//
Synonyms for "vacillate" (126 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (26)
Strong matches (37)
Related words (63)
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesSynonyms
5 entriesRelated terms
5 entriesrelated to
9 entriessimilar
1 entriesTranslations
60 translations across 20 languages.
Bulgarian
4 entries- двоумя се verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
- колебая се verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- колебая се verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
- люлея се verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
Catalan
2 entries- vacil·lar verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- vacil·lar verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 搖擺不定 /摇摆不定 verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- 犹豫不定 verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Czech
2 entries- kolísat verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- váhat verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Dutch
2 entries- wankelen verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- weifelen verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Finnish
4 entries- epäröidä verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
- heilua verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- horjua verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- horjua verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
French
2 entries- hésiter verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
- vaciller verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
Georgian
4 entries- მერყეობა verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
- რყევა verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- რწევა verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- რხევა verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
German
2 entries- schwanken verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- schwanken verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Greek
2 entries- ταλαντεύομαι verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- ταλαντεύομαι verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Greenlandic
1 entries- nakimavoq verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Icelandic
1 entries- bera kápuna á báðum öxlum verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Italian
4 entries- dubitare verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
- esitare verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- ondeggiare verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- oscillare verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
Korean
2 entries- 흔들리다 verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- 흔들리다 verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Latin
4 entries- aestuō verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
- duabus sellis sedeo verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
- vacillō verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- vacillō verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Māori
1 entries- tātāu verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Portuguese
2 entries- vacilar verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- vacilar verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Russian
3 entries- кача́ться verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- колеба́ться verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- колеба́ться verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
Spanish
4 entries- tambalear verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- tambalearse verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- titubear verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
- trastabillar verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
Turkish
3 entries- bocalamak verb (to swing from one course of action or opinion to another)
- sendelemek verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
- yalpalamak verb (to sway unsteadily from one side to the other)
Sample sentences
4 total sentences available.
Courageous, patriotic, yet vacillating, many of the noblest principles and the purest intentions, men of large possessions and ancient names, under the afflicting circumstances of the times, failed to render service to their unhappy country, but involved themselves in irremediable ruin.
Source: wiktionary
Though it is vital to be alert for circumstances which require a change of plan, it is fatal to vacillate.
Source: wiktionary
On the streets of Berlin, Ruth and her compatriots vacillated "between hope and despair."
Source: wiktionary
Keep exploring
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.