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Synonyms

gyrate

American  
[jahy-reyt, jahy-reyt, jahy-reyt] / ˈdʒaɪ reɪt, dʒaɪˈreɪt, ˈdʒaɪ reɪt /

verb (used without object)

gyrated, gyrating

  1. to move in a circle or spiral, or around a fixed point; whirl.

    Synonyms:
    pirouette, swirl, revolve, twirl, spin

adjective

  1. Zoology. having convolutions.

gyrate British  
/ -trɪ, ˈdʒaɪrətərɪ, dʒaɪˈreɪtərɪ /

verb

  1. (intr) to rotate or spiral, esp about a fixed point or axis

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. biology curved or coiled into a circle; circinate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • gyrator noun
  • gyratory adjective
  • multigyrate adjective
  • pseudogyrate adjective
  • ungyrating adjective

Etymology

Origin of gyrate

First recorded in 1820–30, gyrate is from the Latin word gȳrātus (past participle of gȳrāre to turn around). See gyr-, -ate 1

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.

Dealmaking in the oil-and-gas sector, in particular, has faced challenges as oil prices gyrate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

“Markets can gyrate and change their opinions regularly, erratically, and are often quite wrong,” said Rick Rieder, BlackRock’s chief investment officer of global fixed income, in emailed comments Friday.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 14, 2026

Those bearing the structures often gyrate to the beat provided by percussionists alongside religious chants and devotional folk songs.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

Indeed, the balanced remarks led U.S. stocks to gyrate between modest gains and losses.

From Reuters • Aug. 25, 2023

He saw the two dial indicators gyrate frantically.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

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.