verb
C2
Proficient
fluctuate
FLUK-choo-ayt
Fluctuate (verb) means to rise and fall irregularly in number, amount or level. Example: “Petrol prices fluctuate from week to week.”
verb
1
To rise and fall irregularly in number, amount or level.
"Petrol prices fluctuate from week to week."
"Her weight fluctuated by several kilos over the winter."
2
To change repeatedly between different moods, opinions or states.
"His mood fluctuated between quiet optimism and outright panic."
How to use fluctuate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo keep going up and down.
When to use it
Neutral; very common in finance, science and health writing.
Memory tip
The noun is fluctuation, and it is usually plural: fluctuations in temperature.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
fluctuate vs vacillate
fluctuate vs oscillate
Common pairings
prices fluctuate
fluctuate wildly
fluctuate between
fluctuating demand
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Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Petrol prices _____ from week to week.
Etymology
From Latin fluctuat-, fluctuare 'to undulate', from fluctus 'wave', from fluere 'to flow'.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
stabilise
hold steady
Related words
Rhymes for fluctuate
See all rhymes for 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).
What is the meaning of fluctuate?
"fluctuate" (verb) means to rise and fall irregularly in number, amount or level.
What is another word for fluctuate?
Other words for "fluctuate" include vary, swing, oscillate, waver, seesaw, vacillate.
