Skip to content

vaciller

to waver, to flicker

verb vah-see-YAY Rare
Body & Health Movement

Origin: Latin vacillare (to sway)

Also means

to totter, to falter

Usage Note

Vaciller applies to physical unsteadiness (a flame, a person about to faint) and to figurative wavering (resolve, memory). La flamme vacille captures the literal use, while sa foi vacillait shows the extended sense. It does not take a direct object.

Examples

"La flamme vacille dans le vent."

Natural Translation

The flame flickers in the wind.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic