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

The researchers combined thermodynamic modeling with an economic analysis to examine how storing and releasing reactor heat could improve operational flexibility and help nuclear plants respond to fluctuating electricity prices. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026

This insulates these segments of the market from the effects of fluctuating mortgage rates. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

Such flexibility is compatible with the fluctuating nature of entrepreneurship. — Bernardo Saraiva, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Gray noise, per The New York Times, may sound like wind blowing or steady rainfall and works for apartment dwellers sensitive to sharp or fluctuating noises. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026

An active Pacific region Hurricane Polo has been a powerful storm, at times fluctuating between Category 4 and Category 5. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Farmers are struggling under the pressure of higher energy costs, tariffs and fluctuating crop prices. — Jarrell Dillard, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2026

However, expectations have been volatile and highly dependent on data as well as fluctuating energy prices, making the stakes for Friday’s release even higher. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

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