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Waver vs Prevaricate - What's the difference?

waver | prevaricate |

In lang=en terms the difference between waver and prevaricate

is that waver is to be indecisive between choices; to feel or show doubt or indecision; to vacillate while prevaricate is to shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour; to evade the truth; to waffle or be (intentionally) ambiguous.

As verbs the difference between waver and prevaricate

is that waver is to sway back and forth; to totter or reel while prevaricate is (transitive|intransitive|obsolete) to deviate, transgress; to go astray (from).

As a noun waver

is an act of wavering, vacillating, etc.

waver

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To sway back and forth; to totter or reel.
    • Flowers wavered in the breeze.
  • * Ld. Berners
    • With banners and pennons wavering with the wind.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • Thou wouldst waver on one of these trees as a terror to all evil speakers against dignities.
  • To flicker, glimmer, quiver, as a weak light.
  • To fluctuate or vary, as commodity prices or a poorly sustained musical pitch.
  • To shake or tremble, as the hands or voice.
    • His voice wavered when the reporter brought up the controversial topic.
  • To falter; become unsteady; begin to fail or give way.
  • * 1903 , Bill Arp, From the Uncivil War to Date
    • ...and that when a man was in the wrong his courage wavered , and his nerves became unsteady, and so he couldn't fight to advantage and was easily overcome.
  • * 2014 , Jacob Steinberg, " Wigan shock Manchester City in FA Cup again to reach semi-finals", The Guardian , 9 March 2014:
    • Although they believe they can overhaul their 2-0 deficit, they cannot afford to be as lethargic as this at Camp Nou, and the time is surely approaching when Manuel Pellegrini's faith in Martín Demichelis wavers .
  • To be indecisive between choices; to feel or show doubt or indecision; to vacillate.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An act of wavering, vacillating, etc.
  • Someone who waves, enjoys waving, etc.
    • I felt encouraged by all the enthusiastic wavers in the crowd.
    The Fourth of July brings out all the flag wavers .
    Johnny is such a little waver ; everyone who passes by receives his preferred greeting.
  • Someone who specializes in waving (hair treatment).
  • A tool that accomplishes hair waving.
  • (UK, dialect, dated) A sapling left standing in a fallen wood.
    • (Halliwell)

    See also

    * waiver

    prevaricate

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (archaic)

    Verb

    (prevaricat)
  • (transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from).
  • To shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour; to evade the truth; to waffle or be (intentionally) ambiguous.
    • The people saw the politician prevaricate every day.
  • (legal) To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution.
  • (legal, UK) To undertake something falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it.

    • Derived terms

    * prevarication * prevaricator

    See also

    * lie ----