to tergiversate
- verb
- /ˌtɜrˈdʒɪvərˌseɪt/
- Formal
:
equivocar
- To win the negotiation, he decided to tergiversate, sidestepping the crucial points his opponent raised.
Examples
-
l don't even know what the hell ''tergiversate'' means, so how can l tergiversate?
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And don't tergiversate.
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Once you tergiversate, you're lost.
-
Politicians often tergiversate during debates to avoid taking a clear stance on controversial issues.
-
When asked about the scandal, she began to tergiversate, giving vague answers instead of addressing the question directly.
Synonyms
23
8.0
To make something sound better to hide problems
17
5.6
To avoid saying what you mean directly
7
9.9
To use unclear words to avoid giving a direct answer or telling the truth
5
7.7
To avoid giving a clear answer or decision
3
9.1
To avoid giving a direct answer to hide the truth
1
9.6
Say things that are not true to trick others
1
8.3
To give a quick, unclear answer instead of real facts
To speak or act to hide the truth and avoid a clear answer
To avoid answering a question directly by being unclear
To speak in a vague or praising way to avoid answering
Antonyms
How Evasive
Surface Forms
Morphology
tergiversate = tergivers + ate
The verb is a learned Latinism (tergivers- + -ate); its internal parts are not transparent or productive in modern English, so learners cannot reliably infer the meaning.
Etymology
Tergiversate comes from Latin parts tergum 'back' and versare 'to turn', the same idea you see in reverse. So to tergiversate is to turn away from a direct answer or to be unclear on purpose to avoid giving a straight reply.