Fluctuate

//ˈflʌkt͡ʃu.eɪt// adj, verb

adj, verb ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To vary irregularly; to swing. intransitive
  2. 2
    be unstable wordnet
  3. 3
    To undulate. intransitive

    "One of them, at great Expence of Algebra, proves, that the Motes, which in Scotomias, we seem to have in our Eyes, are not real Bodies fluctuating in them."

  4. 4
    move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern wordnet
  5. 5
    To be irresolute; to waver. intransitive

    "I fluctuated between wishing he was back home and wishing I'd never met him."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    cause to fluctuate or move in a wavelike pattern wordnet
  2. 7
    To cause to vary irregularly. transitive
  3. 8
    To rise and fall as a wave; to be tossed up and down the waves. also, figuratively, literally, rare
Adjective
  1. 1
    Tossed up and down the waves. obsolete
  2. 2
    Wavering, fickle. broadly, obsolete

Synonyms

All synonyms
alternateambivalentback and fillblow hot and coldbobbobble

Example

More examples

"The budget is bound to fluctuate due to the economy."

Etymology

First attested in the 1630'; borrowed from Latin flūctuātus, perfect passive participle of flūctuō (“(of the sea) to surge, swell; (of man) to waver, fluctuate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.