Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
vacillator

vacillator

9.7
A person who often cannot decide and changes their mind
  • noun
  • /ˈvæk.sɪ.leɪ.tər/
translation icon : vacilante
  • He is a pacifist and a vacillator.

Examples

  • These vacillators.

    The Iron Lady (2011)

  • - Vacillators!

    The Iron Lady (2011)

  • Many people see him as a vacillator because he often changes his opinions on important issues.

  • During the meeting, her reputation as a vacillator was evident, as she hesitated before committing to any decision.

  • Being a noted vacillator, he struggled to choose between the two candidates for the job.

Synonyms

weathervane
vsvacillator
  • Offensive
1 7.2

A person who changes opinions to follow what is popular

may instead show general indecision rather than calculated public opportunism
ditherer
vsvacillator
1 7.9

A person who cannot make decisions quickly or confidently

leans more toward changing views often rather than only slow deciding
waverer
vsvacillator
1 7.5

A person who cannot decide and often hesitates

often goes further to change positions frequently rather than just hesitate
hoverer
vsvacillator
7.5

A person who delays choosing because they cannot make up their mind

tends instead to flip opinions frequently as well as hesitate
hesitater
vsvacillator
6.5

A person who delays deciding because of fear or doubt

more likely combines indecision with frequent changes of view over time
hesitator
vsvacillator
7.7

A person who often pauses because they feel unsure or afraid

also implies shifting choices often, not just brief fear driven pauses
temporizer
vsvacillator
  • Formal
9.9

A person who delays action to wait for a better moment

is less strategic and more about unstable choices and frequent changes

Antonyms

decider
7 4.4

A person or group that makes the final choice

How Indecisive

vacillator
9.7
dallier
1 9.5
hesitater
6.5

Surface Forms

vacillator singular
vacillators plural

Morphology

vacillator = vacillate (transparent) = vacillate + or

A regular agent-noun formed from the verb 'vacillate' with the productive suffix '-or', so the meaning 'one who vacillates' is directly derivable.

Etymology

The word vacillator comes from the old Latin verb vacillare, meaning 'to sway' or 'to waver', and it shares its root with the English verb vacillate. So a vacillator is a person who keeps changing their mind and hesitates to decide.