oscillate
verb (used without object)
to swing or move to and fro, as a pendulum does.
oscillated
-
past participleof oscillate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof oscillate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
oscillateverb (used without object)to swing or move to and fro, as a pendulum does.
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.
Its overall light field oscillated in the same direction, even though it contained photons of different colors traveling along many different paths.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
Tech conglomerate SoftBank—a proxy for the AI trade—Advantest and Kioxia, to name a few, have oscillated sharply as market sentiment flits between euphoria over the technology’s long-term promise and pessimism over monetization and sky-high valuations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
The Feeneys oscillated between C and B over the years, a plus or minus coming depending on how much time had passed since the founding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Even though the stock-bond correlation has oscillated widely over the years, this ratio has remained remarkably constant — as you can see from the chart above.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
As I turned away to continue walking up the trail, my emotions oscillated between nervous anticipation and a nearly overwhelming sense of dread.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
