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Dither vs Vacillate - What's the difference?

dither | vacillate |

As verbs the difference between dither and vacillate

is that dither is (obsolete) to tremble, shake, or shiver with cold while vacillate is to sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate.

As a noun dither

is the state of being undecided.

dither

English

Noun

(-)
  • The state of being undecided.
  • * 2002 , Thomas P. Glynn, A Child's Christmas In Chicago , page 59:
  • *:Everyone was in a dither'''; either in it or about to get in it or just climbing out of it. Naturally, the Madam was not in a '''dither'''. '''Dither was a foreign concept to her.
  • A form of noise which is intentionally applied to randomize errors which occur in the processing of both digital audio and digital video data
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To tremble, shake, or shiver with cold.
  • *1913 ,
  • *:Presently he came running out of the scullery, with the soapy water dripping from him, dithering with cold.
  • To be uncertain or unable to make a decision about doing something.
  • *2012 , The Economist, Sept. 22nd issue, '' Indian Reform: At Last
  • *:The dithering Mr Singh of recent times may worry that his reform proposals are already too bold. The reforming Mr Singh of yore would see them as just the start.
  • To do something nervously.
  • (computer graphics) To render an approximation of (an image, etc.) by using dot patterns in similar colours to those that are unavailable on the system.
  • Derived terms

    * ditherer

    Anagrams

    * *

    vacillate

    English

    Verb

    (vacillat)
  • To sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate.
  • * 1910:
  • 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; [...]
  • To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.
  • * 2004: , 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

    Anagrams

    * ----