equivocate
To use ambiguous language to avoid commitment or mislead
Examples
In a meeting
“The vendor continued to equivocate when we asked about delivery dates.”
Over coffee
“Stop equivocating—do you want to go or not?”
Why this word
hedge
Equivocate specifically means using ambiguous language to mislead or avoid commitment, while hedge is more casual and may simply mean being cautious
avoid
Equivocate involves deliberately ambiguous language to dodge the truth, while avoid is general evasion without implying linguistic manipulation
lie
Equivocate means speaking ambiguously to mislead without outright falsehood, while lie is direct dishonesty
Usage tip
Use when someone is deliberately being unclear or evasive in their language
Etymology
Latin 'aequivocus' from 'aequi-' (equal) + 'vocare' (to call)
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Related words
broach
To bring up or introduce a topic for discussion
concise
Giving a lot of information clearly in few words.
ambiguous
Open to more than one interpretation; not clear or decided.
convey
To communicate or make an idea, feeling, or meaning known.
reiterate
To say something again for emphasis or clarity.
paraphrase
To restate something in different words to make it clearer or shorter.