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Vacillate vs Temporize - What's the difference?

vacillate | temporize |

As verbs the difference between vacillate and temporize

is that vacillate is to sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate while temporize is to deliberately act evasively or prolong a discussion in order to gain time or postpone a decision, sometimes in order to reach a compromise or simply to make a conversation more temperate.

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

    Related terms

    * vacillant * vacillating * vacillation * vacillator * vacillatory

    External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    temporize

    English

    Verb

  • To deliberately act evasively or prolong a discussion in order to gain time or postpone a decision, sometimes in order to reach a compromise or simply to make a conversation more temperate.
  • (obsolete) To comply with the time or occasion; to humor, or yield to, the current of opinion or circumstances; also, to trim, as between two parties.
  • * Daniel
    • They might their grievance inwardly complain, But outwardly they needs must temporize .
  • (obsolete) To delay; to procrastinate.
    • (Francis Bacon)
  • (obsolete) To comply; to agree.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Derived terms

    * temporizer