different between hesitation vs vacillate

English

Alternative forms

• hæsitation (chiefly archaic) [18^th–19^th C.]

Etymology

From Latin haesit?ti?nem, accusative singular of haesit?ti? (“hesitating, stammering”), from haesit? (“hesitate”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /h?z??te???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

hesitation (countable and uncountable, plural hesitations)

1. An act of hesitating
2. doubt; vacillation.

3. A faltering in speech; stammering.

Synonyms

• (act of hesitating): cunctation, hold-up; see also Thesaurus:delay
• (doubt, vacillation): irresolution, wavering

Related terms

• hesitate

Translations

English

Etymology

From Latin vacill?tum, supine form of vacill? (“sway, waver”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?væ.s?.le?t/, /?væ.s?.le?t/

Verb

vacillate (third-person singular simple present vacillates, present participle vacillating, simple past and past participle vacillated)

1. (intransitive) To sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate.
   • 1910: Jack London, The Heathen

     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; [...]

2. (intransitive) To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.
   • 2004: Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage

     On the streets of Berlin, Ruth and her compatriots vacillated "between hope and despair."

Synonyms

• (to sway from one side to the other): stagger
• (to swing indecisively): blow hot and cold, waffle

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• vacillate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• vacillate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• vacillate at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• cavatelli, laticlave

Italian

Verb

vacillate

1. second-person plural present indicative of vacillare
2. second-person plural imperative of vacillare
3. feminine plural of vacillato

Anagrams

• cavillate

Latin

Verb

vacill?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of vacill?