vacillate
Valid in Scrabble
- Scrabble points
- 14
- Words With Friends
- 18
- Letters
- 9
See all 2 pronunciations Show less
Definition of vacillate
2 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included
verb
-
(intransitive)To sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate.
“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; […]”
See all 2 definitions Show less
verb
-
(intransitive)To sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate.
“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; […]”
-
(intransitive)To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.
“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.”
“Though it is vital to be alert for circumstances which require a change of plan, it is fatal to vacillate.”
“On the streets of Berlin, Ruth and her compatriots vacillated "between hope and despair."”
“Oliveira couldn’t seem to decide if the point of his videos was to make a point about welfare — he vacillates between claiming Orthodox Jews are engaged in fraud and acknowledging they legitimately qualify for programs like Medicaid and food stamps that he doesn’t think taxes should pay for, at least when it comes to large Jewish families — or to hold up the Jewish communities in Kiryas Joel and Lakewood as models for white Americans.”
Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Etymology
From Latin vacillātum, supine form of vacillō (“sway, waver”). By surface analysis, Latin vacill- + -ate.
Words you can make from vacillate
153 playable · top: CLAVATE (12 pts)
Best play clavate 12 points7-letter words
3 words6-letter words
13 words5-letter words
28 words- CALVE 10 pts
- CAVIE 10 pts
- CAVIL 10 pts
- CIVET 10 pts
- CLAVE 10 pts
- CLAVI 10 pts
- EVICT 10 pts
- VATIC 10 pts
- ALIVE 8 pts
- AVAIL 8 pts
- VALET 8 pts
- VILLA 8 pts
- VITAE 8 pts
- VITAL 8 pts
- ACETA 7 pts
- AECIA 7 pts
- CALLA 7 pts
- CELLA 7 pts
- CELLI 7 pts
- CLEAT 7 pts
- ECLAT 7 pts
- ILEAC 7 pts
- LILAC 7 pts
- TELIC 7 pts
- TICAL 7 pts
- ALATE 5 pts
- ILEAL 5 pts
- TELIA 5 pts
4-letter words
53 words- CAVA 9 pts
- CAVE 9 pts
- VICE 9 pts
- EVIL 7 pts
- LAVA 7 pts
- LAVE 7 pts
- LEVA 7 pts
- LIVE 7 pts
- VAIL 7 pts
- VALE 7 pts
- VEAL 7 pts
- VEIL 7 pts
- VELA 7 pts
- VIAL 7 pts
- VILE 7 pts
- VILL 7 pts
- VITA 7 pts
- VLEI 7 pts
- ACAI 6 pts
- ACTA 6 pts
- ALEC 6 pts
- CALL 6 pts
- CATE 6 pts
- CEIL 6 pts
- CELL 6 pts
- CELT 6 pts
- CITE 6 pts
- CLIT 6 pts
- ETIC 6 pts
- LACE 6 pts
- LAIC 6 pts
- LICE 6 pts
- TACE 6 pts
- TALC 6 pts
- ALAE 4 pts
- ALIT 4 pts
- ILEA 4 pts
- LATE 4 pts
- LATI 4 pts
- LEAL 4 pts
- LILT 4 pts
- LITE 4 pts
- TAEL 4 pts
- TAIL 4 pts
- TALA 4 pts
- TALE 4 pts
- TALI 4 pts
- TALL 4 pts
- TEAL 4 pts
- TELA 4 pts
- TELL 4 pts
- TILE 4 pts
- TILL 4 pts
3-letter words
42 words- VAC 8 pts
- AVA 6 pts
- AVE 6 pts
- LAV 6 pts
- LEV 6 pts
- TAV 6 pts
- VAT 6 pts
- VET 6 pts
- VIA 6 pts
- VIE 6 pts
- ACE 5 pts
- ACT 5 pts
- CAL 5 pts
- CAT 5 pts
- CEL 5 pts
- ICE 5 pts
- LAC 5 pts
- TEC 5 pts
- TIC 5 pts
- AAL 3 pts
- AIL 3 pts
- AIT 3 pts
- ALA 3 pts
- ALE 3 pts
- ALL 3 pts
- ALT 3 pts
- ATE 3 pts
- EAT 3 pts
- ELL 3 pts
- ETA 3 pts
- ILL 3 pts
- LAT 3 pts
- LEA 3 pts
- LEI 3 pts
- LET 3 pts
- LIE 3 pts
- LIT 3 pts
- TAE 3 pts
- TEA 3 pts
- TEL 3 pts
- TIE 3 pts
- TIL 3 pts
2-letter words
13 wordsHooks
2 extensions · 2 back
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