fluctuate

F4L1U1C3T1U1A1T1E1
/ˈflʌkt͡ʃu.eɪt//ˈflʌkʃu.eɪt//ˈflʌktju.eɪt/

verb

To vary irregularly; to swing.

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

Similar
vacillatewaver
OriginLatin flūctuātus →
Less commonScrabble 14
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Meanings

verbfluctuate (third-person singular simple present fluctuates, present participle fluctuating, simple past and past participle fluctuated)

present singular third person fluctuates · participle present fluctuating · participle past fluctuated · past fluctuated

  1. intransitiveTo vary irregularly; to swing.
  2. intransitiveTo undulate.

    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.

    1719, William Vickers, An easie and safe method for curing the King's Evil, page 39
  3. intransitiveTo be irresolute; to waver.

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

  4. transitiveTo cause to vary irregularly.
  5. alsofigurativelyliterallyrareTo rise and fall as a wave; to be tossed up and down the waves.
adjectivefluctuate (comparative more fluctuate, superlative most fluctuate)

comparative more fluctuate · superlative most fluctuate

  1. obsoleteTossed up and down the waves.
  2. broadlyobsoleteWavering, fickle.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbcause to fluctuate or move in a wavelike pattern

Similar
vacillatewaver
Broader
movedisplace

verbmove or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern

Similar
vacillatewaver
Broader
swing
Also see
vacillatevarywaver

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinflūctuātus
  2. Englishfluctuate

First attested in 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).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian колебая се, меня се
  • колебая се (kolebaja se)to vary irregularly; to swing
  • меня се (menja se)to vary irregularly; to swing
  • меня (menja)to undulate
  • варирам (variram)to undulate
  • колебая се (kolebaja se)to be irresolute; to waver
  • двоумя се (dvoumja se)to be irresolute; to waver
Catalan fluctuar, fluctuar
  • fluctuarto vary irregularly; to swing
  • fluctuarto undulate
Chinese Mandarin 波動 /波动
  • 波動 /波动 (bōdòng)to vary irregularly; to swing
Czech kolísat
  • kolísatto vary irregularly; to swing
Finnish heilahdella, vaihdella
  • heilahdellato vary irregularly; to swing
  • vaihdellato vary irregularly; to swing
  • heittelehtiäto vary irregularly; to swing
  • heilutellato cause to vary irregularly
  • heilautellato cause to vary irregularly
  • heitelläto cause to vary irregularly
French fluctuer, onduler
  • fluctuerto vary irregularly; to swing
  • ondulerto undulate
German schwanken, fluktuieren
  • schwankento vary irregularly; to swing
  • fluktuierento vary irregularly; to swing
  • (hin und her) schwankento be irresolute; to waver
Greek κυμαίνομαι, κυμαίνομαι
  • κυμαίνομαι (kymaínomai)to vary irregularly; to swing
  • κυμαίνομαι (kymaínomai)to undulate
Hungarian ingadozik, hullámzik
  • ingadozikto vary irregularly; to swing
  • hullámzikto undulate
  • ingadozikto be irresolute; to waver
Māori manei, mānenei
  • maneito vary irregularly; to swing
  • māneneito vary irregularly; to swing
Norwegian svinge, fluktuere
  • svingeto vary irregularly; to swing
  • fluktuereto vary irregularly; to swing
Persian نوسان کردن
  • نوسان کردن (navasân kardan)to vary irregularly; to swing
Russian колеба́ться, меня́ться
  • колеба́ться (kolebátʹsja)to vary irregularly; to swing
  • меня́ться (menjátʹsja)to vary irregularly; to swing
  • меня́ться (menjátʹsja)to undulate
  • варьи́ровать (varʹírovatʹ)to undulate
  • колеба́ть (kolebátʹ)to cause to vary irregularly
Cite this entry
APA

fluctuate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fluctuate

MLA

“fluctuate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fluctuate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fluctuate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fluctuate.

Source: fluctuate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.