equivocate

verb

/ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪt/

[intransitive, transitive] (formal)

动词形式

present simple I / you / we / they equivocate	/ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪt/ /ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪt/
he / she / it equivocates	/ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪts/ /ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪts/
past simple equivocated	/ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪtɪd/ /ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪtɪd/
past participle equivocated	/ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪtɪd/ /ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪtɪd/
-ing form equivocating	/ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪtɪŋ/ /ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪtɪŋ/

to talk about something in a way that is deliberately not clear in order to avoid or hide the truth（故意）含糊其词，支吾，搪塞
- Lincoln hated slavery but equivocated in public statements about racial equality.林肯讨厌奴隶制，但在关于种族平等的公开声明中模棱两可。
- + speech ‘I'm not sure,’ she equivocated. “我不确定，”她含糊其辞。
词源late Middle English (in the sense ‘use a word in more than one sense’): from late Latin aequivocat- ‘called by the same name’, from the verb aequivocare, from aequivocus, from Latin aequus ‘equally’ + vocare ‘to call’.