fluctuate
Americanverb (used without object)
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to change continually; shift back and forth; vary irregularly.
The price of gold fluctuated wildly last month.
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to move back and forth in waves.
- Synonyms:
- oscillate
verb (used with object)
verb
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to change or cause to change position constantly; be or make unstable; waver or vary
-
(intr) to rise and fall like a wave; undulate
Usage
What does fluctuate mean? Fluctuate means to continually change or shift back and forth. The verb is most commonly used in the context of abstract or intangible things that frequently change, such as temperature, the stock market, or someone’s mood. This kind of continual change is called fluctuation. Example: The volume on my TV keeps fluctuating—it gets louder during commercials and then it gets quiet again when the show comes back on.
Synonym Usage
See waver 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fluctuatesimple
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fluctuatessimple
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have fluctuatedperfect
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has fluctuatedperfect
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are fluctuatingprogressive
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am fluctuatingprogressive
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is fluctuatingprogressive
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have been fluctuatingperfect progressive
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has been fluctuatingperfect progressive
Past
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fluctuatedsimple
-
had fluctuatedperfect
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was fluctuatingprogressive
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were fluctuatingprogressive
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had been fluctuatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fluctuate
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin fluctuātus “undulated,” past participle of fluctuāre “to flow,” equivalent to fluctu(s) “a flowing” (derivative of fluere “to flow”) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
Something that fluctuates varies or changes — it's the opposite of steady. Like the ups and downs of the stock market or the relationship status of a Hollywood starlet. Fluctuate is a verb that describes movement, sometimes irregular, but often rising and falling in a wave-like pattern. The tides fluctuate according to the weather and season, for example. Your emotions fluctuate depending on what happens throughout the day, and so does your weight. In fact, you usually weigh less in the morning, before you've eaten. You're also taller, since your spine compresses as you walk around. So your height fluctuates, too.
Vocabulary lists containing fluctuate
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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List 3
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Darius the Great Is Not Okay
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She has since put an offer on the house she wanted, and the stock price continues to fluctuate.
From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026
The market value was expected to fluctuate around this figure, not steadily rise.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
"That means sugar yields fluctuate... and that means alcohol output changes. So standardizing production becomes difficult. Mexico solved this over decades through selective breeding. India hasn't yet," he says.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
Indexed universal life, on the other hand, typically has the buyer pay in a lump sum to start for a death benefit that can fluctuate.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
To be honest, due to my nine months of experience, my shifts fluctuate from night to day week after week.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
