What is the Latin word for waver?

The usual Latin words for “waver” are lābor, nūtō, flūctuō; also animus, spēs, fidēs. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“waver” in Latin

lāborto slip, slide, glide; (of fluids) to flow gently; to fall, sink down; to slip, stumble nūtōto nod (the head); to signal or gesture to give a command; to sway, stagger, totter flūctuōto surge, swell, undulate; to fluctuate, vacillate; to be restless, figuratively tossed by emotional distress animuslife, life force, soul, vitality (that life-giving aspect which animates a thing); conscience, intellect, mind, reason, spēshope (belief or expectation that something wished for can or will happen); expectation, anticipation; apprehension fidēsfaith; belief (belief without empirical evidence, direct experience, or observation); reliance (act of relying on or tru labāscōto totter (begin to fall); to waver, yield labefaciōto cause to totter, shake, loosen, make ready to fall; to cause to waver, shake, weaken; to weaken; overthrow, ruin, des

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

waver

labare (the proper word): nutare (to move to and fro; of the upper part of anything): vacillaie (to be easily moved; all three PROP. and figuratively): fluctuare (PROP., to be driven or tossed about with waves; hence, figuratively, to hesitate). The allies waver, socii labant: courage, hope, fidelity, resolution wavers, animus, spes, fides, consilium labat: the line (of battle) wavers, acies nutat: to begin to waver, labascere, labefieri (PROP. and figuratively): to cause to waver, labefacere, labefactare (PROP. and figuratively): to cause anybody’s fidelity to waver, labefactare fidem alicujus; fide aliquem dimovere: to waver in one’s decision or resolution, in decreto suo inter varia consilia nunc huc nunc illuc fluctuare.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for waver?: The usual Latin words for “waver” are lābor, nūtō, flūctuō; also animus, spēs, fidēs. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.