Synonyms of vacillate

vacillate

verb

ˈva-sə-ˌlāt 

as in to hesitate

to show uncertainty about the right course of action

vacillated for so long that someone else stepped in and made the decision

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hesitate
• falter
• waver
• dither
• debate
• scruple
• stagger
• wait
• hang back
• halt
• teeter
• pause
• balance
• sway
• shilly-shally
• wobble
• linger
• ponder
• procrastinate
• haw
• dawdle
• delay
• weigh
• oscillate
• equivocate
• deliberate
• hem
• chicken (out)
• back down
• consider
• waffle
• hedge
• pussyfoot
• dally

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decide
• continue
• stir
• plunge (in)
• dive (in)
• advance
• budge

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb vacillate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of vacillate are falter, hesitate, and waver. While all these words mean "to show irresolution or uncertainty," vacillate implies prolonged hesitation from inability to reach a firm decision.

vacillated until events were out of control

When is it sensible to use falter instead of vacillate?

While the synonyms falter and vacillate are close in meaning, falter implies a wavering or stumbling and often connotes nervousness, lack of courage, or outright fear.

never once faltered during her testimony

When would hesitate be a good substitute for vacillate?

The words hesitate and vacillate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hesitate implies a pause before deciding or acting or choosing.

hesitated before answering the question

When could waver be used to replace vacillate?

Although the words waver and vacillate have much in common, waver implies hesitation after seeming to decide and so connotes weakness or a retreat.

wavered in his support of the rebels

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of vacillate

The characters have little time to make life-or-death decisions, let alone ruminate, and the action vacillates between triage and doctors expertly improvising solutions — like Mel (Taylor Dearden) donating her own blood, and Javadi (Shabana Azeez) going MacGyver mode with a tracheal tube. — Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026

Legally an adult but still a teenager and finding your footing in the world, vacillating between feeling invincible and feeling minuscule. — Bailey Johnson, Washington Post, 21 June 2026

Nanjiani seemed to vacillate between doing what past Taskmaster contestants have done or playing with authenticity, but both approaches left his identity on the show unclear. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 June 2026

How power should be divided among the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government has defined the American experiment, with power swinging pendulum-like between the branches without ever vacillating too far in one direction. — Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 14 June 2026