undulate

1 of 2

adjective

un·​du·​late ˈən-jə-lət How to pronounce undulate (audio) ˈən-dyə- How to pronounce undulate (audio)
ˈən-də-,
-ˌlāt How to pronounce undulate (audio)
variants or undulated
ˈən-jə-ˌlā-təd How to pronounce undulate (audio)
ˈən-dyə-,
ˈən-də-
: having a wavy surface, edge, or markings
the undulate margin of a leaf

undulate

2 of 2

verb

un·​du·​late ˈən-jə-ˌlāt How to pronounce undulate (audio)
ˈən-dyə-,
ˈən-də-
undulated; undulating

intransitive verb

1
: to form or move in waves : fluctuate
2
: to rise and fall in volume, pitch, or cadence
3
: to present a wavy appearance

transitive verb

: to cause to move in a wavy, sinuous, or flowing manner

Did you know?

Make Waves With the History of Undulate

Undulate and inundate (“to cover something with a flood of water”) are word cousins that flow from unda, the Latin word for “wave.” No surprise there. But would you have guessed that abound, surround, and redound are also unda offspring? While their modern definitions have nothing to do with waves or water, at some point in their early histories, they all meant “to overflow,” and caught a wave from there.

Choose the Right Synonym for undulate

swing, sway, oscillate, vibrate, fluctuate, waver, undulate mean to move from one direction to its opposite.

swing implies a movement of something attached at one end or one side.

the door suddenly swung open

sway implies a slow swinging or teetering movement.

trees swaying in the breeze

oscillate stresses a usually regular alternation of direction.

an oscillating fan

vibrate suggests the rapid oscillation of an elastic body under stress or impact.

the vibrating strings of a piano

fluctuate suggests constant irregular changes of level, intensity, or value.

fluctuating interest rates

waver stresses irregular motion suggestive of reeling or tottering.

the exhausted runner wavered before collapsing

undulate suggests a gentle wavelike motion.

an undulating sea of grass

Examples of undulate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
As fingers curl and undulate, arms criss-crossing, the dancer spun and lunged. Karen Campbell, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Mar. 2023
Verb
Arpeggiated sequences undulated and morphed, with Ciani weaving in barely recognizable swaths of Seven Waves‘ familiar melodies between the alien tones. Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 3 Mar. 2024 Instead of being planted in simple rows, they’re cultivated in undulating waves that follow the curves of the hills. Ann Abel, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 The boxy, bright white two-story residence makes a strong statement against the undulating blue of the ocean. Mark David, Robb Report, 31 Jan. 2024 The large, undulating greens will make for some creative putting opportunities. Todd Kelly, The Arizona Republic, 15 Jan. 2024 Those waving, undulating body parts simply create motion and vibration and trigger fish into thinking the bait is something alive and good to eat. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024 Because the streets are undulating rather than flat, each section was constructed from steel frames and then cladded, finished and painted. Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2024 But if your biggest interest is creating an ornamental lawn that’s a feast for the eyes, then look towards the sculptural, undulating bent grasses or fescues. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024 Today, there are four separate hotels on the property, as well as 10 restaurants and bars, six shops, two spas, two museums, a cinema, vineyard, undulating Alpine golf course, and a tennis center (where Roger Federer has, of course, played). Carole Sovocool, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin undulatus, from *undula, diminutive of unda wave — more at water

Verb

Late Latin undula small wave, from Latin *undula

First Known Use

Adjective

1658, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1664, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of undulate was in 1658

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near undulate

Cite this Entry

“Undulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undulate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

undulate

verb
un·​du·​late
ˈən-jə-ˌlāt,
ˈən-d(y)ə-
undulated; undulating
1
: to form or move in waves : fluctuate
2
: to rise and fall in volume, pitch, or rhythm
3
: to present a wavy appearance
Etymology

Verb

from Latin undula "small wave," derived from earlier unda "wave"

Medical Definition

undulate

adjective
: having a wavy surface, edge, or markings
an undulate cell

More from Merriam-Webster on undulate

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!