What does vacilar in Portuguese mean?

What is the meaning of the word vacilar in Portuguese? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use vacilar in Portuguese.

The word vacilar in Portuguese means sway, stagger, hesitate, , recuar, vacilar, hesitar, vacilar, vacilar, hesitar, vacilar, cambalear, vacilar, hesitar, hesitar, vacilar, vacilar, oscilar, vacilar, hesitar, balançar, vacilar, cambalear, vacilar, estragar, vacilar, hesitar, vacilar, vacilar, oscilar. To learn more, please see the details below.

Listen to pronunciation

Meaning of the word vacilar

sway

(oscilar, balançar-se)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")

stagger

(caminhar sem firmeza) (walk unsteadily)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")

hesitate

(ficar em dúvida)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")

recuar, vacilar

intransitive verb (reflex: fear)

Tom recuou quando Peter repentinamente gritou.
Tom flinched when Peter suddenly shouted.

hesitar

intransitive verb (pause)

Sarah hesitou antes de decidir aceitar a oferta.
Sarah hesitated before making up her mind and accepting the job offer.

vacilar

intransitive verb (figurative (feel doubt) (figurado)

He's beginning to waver about staying in the job now.

vacilar, hesitar

intransitive verb (UK (hesitate, be unable to decide)

Elizabeth always dithers for a while before she acts.

vacilar, cambalear

intransitive verb (totter, wobble)

The two-year-old girl stood up, teetering as she attempted to walk.

vacilar, hesitar

intransitive verb (hesitate, waver)

(verbo transitivo: Verbos que possuem complemento, direto ou indireto. Ex. "oferecer ajuda", "gostar de música", etc.)
Simon is vacillating over whether to ask Julia out on a date.

hesitar

verbal expression (be hesitant)

(verbo transitivo: Verbos que possuem complemento, direto ou indireto. Ex. "oferecer ajuda", "gostar de música", etc.)
Jeff hesitava em fazer qualquer coisa que pudesse ofender alguém.
Jeff hesitated to do anything that might offend anyone.

vacilar

verbal expression (figurative (vacillate)

Ian estava vacilando se isso era a coisa certa para ele.
Ian was going back and forth about whether this was the right thing for him.

vacilar

intransitive verb (figurative (hesitate) (figurado)

Colin wavered before summoning up the courage to ask Amy out on a date.

oscilar, vacilar, hesitar

intransitive verb (vacillate, hesitate)

(verbo transitivo: Verbos que possuem complemento, direto ou indireto. Ex. "oferecer ajuda", "gostar de música", etc.)
Frank oscillates regularly between elation and despair.

balançar, vacilar, cambalear

intransitive verb (be about to fall, collapse)

Dizzy because of the heat, the elderly man tottered and grasped the handrail.

vacilar

intransitive verb (figurative (lose courage) (figurado)

We wavered a bit when we saw how long the hike would take.

estragar

phrasal verb, intransitive (informal (make an error, do [sth] incorrectly)

(verbo transitivo: Verbos que possuem complemento, direto ou indireto. Ex. "oferecer ajuda", "gostar de música", etc.)
I was counting on him to do the calculations correctly, but he screwed up.

vacilar

intransitive verb (figurative (voice: tremble) (figurado)

Her voice never wavered as she confessed all her crimes.

hesitar, vacilar

intransitive verb (be indecisive) (ser indeciso)

Você hesita o tempo todo; gostaria que você se decidisse!
You're always waffling; I wish you would make up your mind!

vacilar

intransitive verb (figurative (waver, give way)

Mark ia chamar Emily para sair, mas, no último momento, sua coragem faltou.
Mark was going to ask Emily out, but at the last moment his courage faltered.

oscilar

intransitive verb (waver in opinion)

The minister had been certain which way she was going to vote, but now she was starting to wobble.

Let's learn Portuguese

So now that you know more about the meaning of vacilar in Portuguese, you can learn how to use them through selected examples and how to read them. And remember to learn the related words that we suggest. Our website is constantly updating with new words and new examples so you can look up the meanings of other words you don't know in Portuguese.

Do you know about Portuguese

Portuguese (português) is a Roman language native to the Iberian peninsula of Europe. It is the only official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde. Portuguese has between 215 and 220 million native speakers and 50 million second language speakers, for a total of about 270 million. Portuguese is often listed as the sixth most spoken language in the world, third in Europe. In 1997, a comprehensive academic study ranked Portuguese as one of the 10 most influential languages in the world. According to UNESCO statistics, Portuguese and Spanish are the fastest growing European languages after English.