Meanings
present singular third person tergiversates · participle present tergiversating · participle past tergiversated · past tergiversated
- intransitiveTo evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner.
The officials soon concluded that the easiest way to remain on good terms with the court was to elude responsibility, to tergiversate, to prevent results.
1999, Philip McCutchan, Werner Levi, The Hoof, →ISBN, page 18Synonyms: prevaricate, beat around the bush
- intransitiveTo change sides or affiliation; to apostatize.
Henry had hesitated before authorising the spoliation; he would soon tergiversate on other matters of doctrine but this act was irreversible.
2002, Colin Morris, Peter Roberts, chapter 8, in Pilgrimage: The English Experience from Becket to Bunyan, →ISBN, page 221Synonyms: desert
- intransitiverareTo flee by turning one's back.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner.
verbTo change sides or affiliation; to apostatize.
More synonyms by meaning
verbbe deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latintergiversātus
- Englishtergiversate
Borrowed from Latin tergiversātus, perfect active participle of tergiversor (“to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from tergum (“back, hind”) + versor (“to turn”). Compare French tergiverser.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic اِرْتَدَّ
- اِرْتَدَّ (irtadda)to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize
Bulgarian увъртам
- увъртам (uvărtam)to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
Czech vytáčet se, vymlouvat se
- vytáčet seto evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
- vymlouvat seto evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
- odpadnoutto change sides or affiliation; to apostatize
- přeběhnoutto change sides or affiliation; to apostatize
Dutch eromheen draaien, uitvluchten zoeken
- eromheen draaiento evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
- uitvluchten zoekento evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
- schipperento evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
- overlopento change sides or affiliation; to apostatize
Finnish kääntää takkinsa
- kääntää takkinsato change sides or affiliation; to apostatize
French se dérober, tergiverser
- se déroberto evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
- tergiverserto evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
- changer de campto change sides or affiliation; to apostatize
- retourner sa chemiseto change sides or affiliation; to apostatize
Italian tergiversare
- tergiversareto evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
Latin tergiversor
- tergiversorto evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
Portuguese tergiversar
- tergiversarto evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
Romanian tergiversa
- tergiversato evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
Russian уклоня́ться, уви́ливать
- уклоня́ться (uklonjátʹsja)to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
- уви́ливать (uvílivatʹ)to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
- увёртываться (uvjórtyvatʹsja)to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
- предава́ть (predavátʹ)to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize
- отступа́ться (otstupátʹsja)to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize
- переметну́ться (peremetnútʹsja)to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize
Cite this entry
tergiversate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tergiversate
“tergiversate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tergiversate. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tergiversate,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tergiversate.
Source: tergiversate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.