French Conversation · Level 90
58 words
French word
vaciller
Pronunciation
IPA/vasije/
Meaning
- verbwaver
Example
Son opinion vacille face aux nouvelles informations.
His opinion wavers in the face of new information.
More examples
Épuisé, il vacille de fatigue en montant l'escalier.
Exhausted, he staggers from fatigue while climbing the stairs.
Core concept
A body, flame, or conviction sways briefly instead of staying steady.
Common phrases
vaciller de fatigue
stagger from fatigue
vaciller avant de se décider
hesitate before deciding
vaciller dans ses gestes
stagger in one's movements
Similar words
hésiter: To hesitate through indecision rather than choose or act promptly.
trembler: To shake with small, rapid movements from cold, tension, or nervousness.
chanceler: To lose balance and stagger unsteadily.
Definition in French
Perdre momentanément son équilibre ou montrer une hésitation oscillante, physiquement (par exemple vaciller sur ses jambes) ou au sens figuré dans ses convictions.
Word origin
French vaciller entered through Old French from Latin vacillare, meaning "to sway," and shares its origin with English vacillate.
Usage tips
- Vaciller is usually intransitive, as in vaciller sur ses jambes, but faire vaciller means to shake or undermine something.
Other meanings
- hesitateverb
- staggerverb
- wobbleverb
Opposites
- se déciderdecideverb
- se stabiliserstabilizeverb
Related words
- vacillationvacillationnoun
- vacillantunsteadyadjective