Synonyms of fluctuating

fluctuating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈflək-chə-ˌwā-tiŋ 

1

as in volatile

likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly

a fluctuating stock market makes it hard for investors to know what to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

• volatile
• unpredictable
• changeful
• unstable
• variable
• inconsistent
• uncertain
• unsettled
• changeable
• mercurial
• capricious
• mutable
• fickle
• inconstant
• erratic
• temperamental
• fluid
• unsteady
• random
• skittish
• up in the air
• scattered
• unreliable
• shaky
• flickery
• arbitrary
• haphazard
• aimless
• stray
• ambivalent
• irregular
• desultory
• vacillating
• wavering
• undependable
• hit-or-miss
• untrustworthy
• protean
• slapdash
• dicey
• adaptable
• versatile
• hesitating
• mobile
• shilly-shallying
• shilly-shally

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• constant
• certain
• steady
• stable
• unchanging
• predictable
• invariable
• stationary
• unchangeable
• immutable
• settled
• uniform
• persistent
• unvarying
• even
• permanent
• changeless
• lasting
• durable
• abiding
• equable
• reliable
• dependable
• true
• sure
• trustworthy
• trusty
• tried
• tried-and-true

2

as in changing

not staying constant

our speed was constantly fluctuating, so the figure of 50 miles per hour is just an average

Synonyms & Similar Words

• changing
• varying
• uneven
• unstable
• volatile
• unequal
• changeful
• erratic
• variable
• inconsistent
• irregular
• unsteady
• uncertain
• changeable
• capricious
• mercurial
• unsettled
• fickle
• fluid
• mutable
• inconstant
• choppy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• constant
• stable
• steady
• unchanging
• regular
• changeless
• unvarying

fluctuating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fluctuate

as in varying

to pass from one form, state, or level to another

temperatures will fluctuate between the low and high 50s today

Synonyms & Similar Words

• changing
• varying
• shifting
• mutating
• improving
• snapping
• deteriorating
• transmuting
• worsening
• morphing
• metamorphosing
• vacillating
• wavering
• bettering
• turning around
• seesawing
• teetering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stabilizing
• plateauing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fluctuating

Adjective

Don’t Leave Pumpkins to Extreme Elements Pumpkins prefer consistency, so fluctuating temperatures—such as freezing nights followed by warm, sunny days—can weaken them. — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Oct. 2025

Many rival fans have had a good laugh at Tottenham and their wildly fluctuating results this season. — Nick Miller, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024

The same amount of water per unit time can arrive as a smooth, steady rain of many small drops or as a strongly fluctuating shower with fewer but much larger drops. — Douglas Natelson, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024

Irwin said that the characters’ runaway emotions are mirrored by the wildly fluctuating time signatures. — Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024

Verb

Their failure to receive one may be attributed to their having vague symptoms, such as a general feeling of malaise, weakness, or fluctuating muscle pain. — Jerome Groopman, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026

Studying the effects of this fluctuating luminescence on interpreting gesture may tell us whether speech has significant benefits around an evening campfire. — Mike McRae 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026

There’s an Iran war that won’t end, heightening anxieties, plus fluctuating trade policies for those who deal with foreign goods or markets. — Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 25 Aug. 2026

The researchers suggested that the cavity’s fluctuating electromagnetic field interacts with the superconducting state through virtual photons. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026

Rogers and el Sayed are expected to face off in a tight primary race, with initial polls fluctuating between the two candidates in single-digit margins. — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026

But that doesn’t necessarily provide a holistic view of your levels, Navani explained, because hormones are constantly fluctuating in response to your environment, emotional state, and individual biology. — Cathy Cassata, HEALTH, 21 Aug. 2026

These fluctuating moisture levels pose a challenge to many plants. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026

That momentum hasn’t entirely been maintained since, with fluctuating match day attendance figures propped up by big numbers at a single club, Arsenal, though there’s reason to hope this year could mark the next push in popularity. — Dominic Preston, The Verge, 19 Aug. 2026