Equivocate vs Vacillate - What's the difference?
equivocate | vacillate |
To use words of equivocal or doubtful signification; to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive; to use ambiguous expressions with a view to mislead; as, to equivocate is the work of duplicity.
To render equivocal or ambiguous.
To sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate.
* 1910:
To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.
* 2004: , Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage
In lang=en terms the difference between equivocate and vacillate
is that equivocate is to use words of equivocal or doubtful signification; to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive; to use ambiguous expressions with a view to mislead; as, to equivocate is the work of duplicity while vacillate is to swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.As verbs the difference between equivocate and vacillate
is that equivocate is to use words of equivocal or doubtful signification; to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive; to use ambiguous expressions with a view to mislead; as, to equivocate is the work of duplicity while vacillate is to sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate.equivocate
English
(Webster 1913)Alternative forms
* (archaic)Verb
(equivocat)- All that Garnet had to say for him was that he supposed he meant to equivocate . -.
- He equivocated his vow by a mental reservation. -.
Synonyms
* prevaricate * evade * shuffle * quibble * dodge * adumbrateSee also
* prevaricateExternal links
* ----vacillate
English
Verb
(vacillat)- 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; [...]
- On the streets of Berlin, Ruth and her compatriots vacillated "between hope and despair."