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oscillate

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of oscillate

1 to move back and forth in a rhythmic manner
  • When a guitar string is plucked, it oscillates to produce sound waves in the air.
Synonyms and Near Synonyms of oscillate

fluctuate, swing, undulate, wag, waggle

careen, lurch, pitch, rock, roll, seesaw, sway, toss, wobble (also wabble)

ficker, flutter

blunder, buck, dodder, falter, flounder, halt, hitch, hobble, jerk, jolt, reel, shake, stagger, stumble, teeter, toddle, totter, tumble, vacillate, vibrate, waddle, waver, weave
2 to continuously change from one belief, feeling, or condition to an opposite one
  • The model's hair color oscillates between bleach blond and jet black.
Synonyms and Near Synonyms of oscillate

alternate, flip-flop, fluctuate, seesaw, sway, swing, yo-yo

haw, hem

balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble (also wabble)

consider, debate, deliberate, ponder, weigh

equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, waffle

Synonym Discussion of oscillate

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

Learn More about oscillate

  1. See words that rhyme with oscillate Dictionary: Definition of oscillate Medical Dictionary: Definition of oscillate Spanish Central: Translation of oscillate Nglish: Translation of oscillate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of oscillate for Arabic speakers

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