Basic Details
Word: Vacillate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To repeatedly change your mind or be indecisive about what to do.
Synonyms: Waver, hesitate, fluctuate
Antonyms: Decide, resolve, determine
Idioms and Phrases
- Vacillate between options: To be undecided between two or more choices. Example: "She was vacillating between going to the beach or the movies for her birthday."
- On the fence: To not be able to decide what to do. Example: "He was on the fence about whether to take the job offer or stay in school."
Usage Examples
Example 1: After much thought, she decided to stop vacillating and choose a university.
Example 2: His friends noticed that he would often vacillate between different sports teams every season.
Example 3: Rather than vacillate about which dessert to order, she quickly chose the chocolate cake.
Fun Fact
The word "vacillate" comes from the Latin word "vacillare," which means "to sway or waver." It has been used in English since the early 19th century to describe indecisiveness.
Famous Quote
"Ultimately, we cannot be afraid of making mistakes or vacillating between choices; we must learn to trust ourselves." - Anonymous
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. What does "vacillate" mean?
a) To be very confident in decisions
b) To make quick choices
c) To frequently change your mind
d) To ignore choices
Answer: c) To frequently change your mind
2. Which of these is a synonym of "vacillate"?
a) Determine
b) Waver
c) Decide
d) Resolve
Answer: b) Waver
3. What is an antonym of "vacillate"?
a) Hesitate
b) Fluctuate
c) Resolve
d) Waver
Answer: c) Resolve
4. Which sentence uses "vacillate" correctly?
a) She always vacillates smoothly.
b) He decided to vacillate on the final question of the exam.
c) The athlete vacillated between running and swimming as her sports choice.
d) The tree vacillated in the wind.
Answer: c) The athlete vacillated between running and swimming as her sports choice.
5. Which idiom relates to "vacillate"?
a) On the fence
b) In the bag
c) Jump on the bandwagon
d) Under the weather
Answer: a) On the fence
