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Glite Dictionary
🚪 To abandon beliefs 🌀 To avoid clarity
to tergiversate

to tergiversate

9.9
To give up long-held beliefs or loyalties in a way that seems weak
  • verb
  • /ˌtɜrˈdʒɪvərˌseɪt/
  • Formal
translation icon : tergiversar
  • Instead of taking a firm side, he chose to tergiversate, making it difficult for his colleagues to trust his commitment.

Examples

  • She tends to tergiversate when asked about her true feelings on the matter, making it hard to understand her position.

  • The politician continued to tergiversate on his stance regarding the new law, leaving voters confused.

  • Did l tergiversate with Harvey?

    Anything Else (2003)

Synonyms

to apostatize
vsto tergiversate
  • Formal
1 9.9

To leave a religion and stop believing its teachings

is a more evasive and broad abandonment of principles or allegiances

Antonyms

to commit
706 3.4

To give time, money, or effort to something

to stand firm
22 3.7

Keep your decision or opinion when others try to make you change

How Disloyal

to defect
60 7.1
to betray
397 4.2
to tergiversate
  • Formal
9.9
to waver
52 5.7

Surface Forms

tergiversate infinitive
tergiversated past
tergiversated past participle
tergiversating present participle
tergiversates third person singular

Morphology

tergiversate = tergivers + ate

Despite being historically built from Latin elements (tergivers- + -ate), the components are not productive or recognizable to most learners, so the meaning cannot be derived from the parts.

Etymology

Tergiversate comes from Latin parts tergum meaning 'back' and versare meaning 'to turn', so it literally gives the image of someone 'turning their back'. A helpful way to remember it is to think of a person who leaves old loyalties or beliefs, which is why tergiversate means to abandon or give up previous commitments.