TERGIVERSATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does tergiversate mean? 

• TERGIVERSATE (verb)
  The verb TERGIVERSATE has 2 senses:

1. be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information

2. abandon one's beliefs or allegiances

  Familiarity information: TERGIVERSATE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TERGIVERSATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they tergiversate    ... he / she / it tergiversates   
Past simple: tergiversated   
Past participle: tergiversated   
-ing form: tergiversating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

beat around the bush; equivocate; palter; prevaricate; tergiversate

Hypernyms (to "tergiversate" is one way to...):

misinform; mislead (give false or misleading information to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

tergiversation (falsification by means of vague or ambiguous language)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Abandon one's beliefs or allegiances

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

apostatise; apostatize; tergiversate

Hypernyms (to "tergiversate" is one way to...):

disown; renounce; repudiate (cast off)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

tergiversation (the act of abandoning a party for cause)