fluctuate
7 synonyms and 2 antonyms for fluctuate, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To rise and fall irregularly in number, amount or level.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. verb
To rise and fall irregularly in number, amount or level.
“Petrol prices fluctuate from week to week.”
Opposites
stabilise
hold steady
How to use fluctuate
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
prices fluctuate
fluctuate wildly
fluctuate between
fluctuating demand
Neutral; very common in finance, science and health writing.
Etymology
From Latin fluctuat-, fluctuare 'to undulate', from fluctus 'wave', from fluere 'to flow'.
Full origin of fluctuate →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fluctuate and vary?
Vary simply means to be different from one instance to the next. Fluctuate adds the idea of repeated up-and-down movement over time, usually without a settled pattern.
Does fluctuate need a preposition?
Not always. You can say prices fluctuate on its own, or add detail with between (fluctuate between 5 and 9 per cent), by (fluctuate by 3 points) or around (fluctuate around the average).
