vacillation

a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action the president was soundly criticized for his vacillation before responding to the crisis Synonyms faltering, fence-sitting, hesitance, hesitancy, indecision, irresolution, pause, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, hesitation, wavering, wobbling (also wabbling)Related Words delay, hawing, procrastination, waiting; arrière-pensée, misgiving, second thought; consideration, debate, deliberation, doubt, incertitude, indecisiveness, indetermination, uncertainness, uncertainty; avoidance, equivocation; aversion, disinclination, indisposition, reluctance, unwillingness; faintheartedness, shyness, timidity, timidnessNear Antonyms certainty, certitude, confidence, decisiveness, determination, firmness, resoluteness, resolution, sureness; alacrity, eagerness, readiness