Dictionary

fluctuate en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈflʌkʃu.eɪt/
• /ˈflʌktju.eɪt/
• /ˈflʌkt͡ʃu.eɪt/

Etymology

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).

Meanings

1. (obsolete) Tossed up and down the waves.
2. (broadly, obsolete) Wavering, fickle.

Forms

fluctuate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈflʌkʃu.eɪt/
• /ˈflʌktju.eɪt/
• /ˈflʌkt͡ʃu.eɪt/

Etymology

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).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To vary irregularly; to swing.
2. (intransitive) To 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. (intransitive) To be irresolute; to waver.
   • I fluctuated between wishing he was back home and wishing I'd never met him.
4. (transitive) To cause to vary irregularly.
5. (also, figuratively, literally, rare) To rise and fall as a wave; to be tossed up and down the waves.

Forms

Deriveds

cofluctuate

Relateds

fluctuant · fluctuation

Translations (38)

el κυμαίνομαι (to vary irregularly; to swing) · hu ingadozik (to vary irregularly; to swing) · no fluktuere (to vary irregularly; to swing) · bg варирам (to undulate) · de schwanken (to vary irregularly; to swing) · bg меня се (to vary irregularly; to swing) · ru меня́ться (to undulate) · fr onduler (to undulate) · ru колеба́ть (to cause to vary irregularly) · no svinge (to vary irregularly; to swing) · mi mānenei (to vary irregularly; to swing) · cs kolísat (to vary irregularly; to swing) · fi heilautella (to cause to vary irregularly) · fi vaihdella (to vary irregularly; to swing) · hu hullámzik (to undulate) · fi heilutella (to cause to vary irregularly) · el κυμαίνομαι (to undulate) · bg колебая се (to be irresolute; to waver) · fi heittelehtiä (to vary irregularly; to swing) · fr fluctuer (to vary irregularly; to swing) · bg двоумя се (to be irresolute; to waver) · de fluktuieren (to vary irregularly; to swing) · fa نوسان کردن (to vary irregularly; to swing) · mi manei (to vary irregularly; to swing) · hu ingadozik (to be irresolute; to waver) · ru варьи́ровать (to undulate) · fi heitellä (to cause to vary irregularly) · ru колеба́ться (to vary irregularly; to swing) · cmn 波動 /波动 (to vary irregularly; to swing) · ru меня́ться (to vary irregularly; to swing) · io fluktuar (to vary irregularly; to swing) · bg меня (to undulate) · ca fluctuar (to undulate) · fi heilahdella (to vary irregularly; to swing) · de (hin und her) schwanken (to be irresolute; to waver) · ca fluctuar (to vary irregularly; to swing) · ota طالغهلانمق (to undulate) · bg колебая се (to vary irregularly; to swing)