vacillator


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Related to vacillator: facilitator

vac·il·late

 (văs′ə-lāt′)
intr.v. vac·il·lat·ed, vac·il·lat·ing, vac·il·lates
1. To be unable to choose between different courses of action or opinions; waver: She vacillated about whether to leave.
2. To change between one state and another; fluctuate: The weather vacillated between sunny and rainy.
3. Archaic To sway from one side to the other.

[Latin vacillāre, vacillāt-, to waver.]

vac′il·lat′ing·ly adv.
vac′il·la′tion n.
vac′il·la′tor n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.vacillator - one who hesitates (usually out of fear)vacillator - one who hesitates (usually out of fear)
coward - a person who shows fear or timidity
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in periodicals archive ?
The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Coburn, is a mighty vacillator but is believed to favour a repeat referendum, which if the vote went for remaining in the EU would overturn the result of the earlier referendum and make the Brexit headache go away.
'This idea she is some sort of vacillator who cannot make her mind up and wants to keep everybody in the tent -- no -- she is showing leadership.'
Lord Richard Rich was an aging vacillator, who shifted his outward religious loyalties to gain power, though ultimately appearing to be an inward conservative.
Derided before he came to power as "the man with his future behind him," he was ridiculed once in high office as a vacillator and "muddler." (14) As Time observed, "Those who do not admire him also say that he jumps the political fence too often.
Kingsolver, 1988 Merobruchus vacillator Lysiloma divaricatum (Jacq.) (Sharp), 1885 J.F.
Nor was the late batting star David Hookes the simpering and indecisive vacillator depicted in the show.
This vacillator linguistic behaviour is most interesting and exemplifies quite unambiguously Le Page`s notion about the fluidity of individual linguistic behaviour and the area of choice open to people in their use of language as a means of symbolizing identity.