The Collaborative International Dictionary
Fluctuate \Fluc"tu*ate\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fluctuated; p. pr. & vb. n. Fluctuating.] [L. fluctuatus, p. p. of fluctuare, to wave, fr. fluctus wave, fr. fluere, fluctum, to flow. See Fluent, and cf. Flotilla.]
To move as a wave; to roll hither and thither; to wave; to float backward and forward, as on waves; as, a fluctuating field of air.
--Blackmore.-
To move now in one direction and now in another; to be wavering or unsteady; to be irresolute or undetermined; to vacillate.
Syn: To waver; vacillate; hesitate; scruple.
Usage: To Fluctuate, Vacillate, Waver. -- Fluctuate is applied both to things and persons and denotes that they move as they are acted upon. The stocks fluctuate; a man fluctuates between conflicting influences. Vacillate and waver are applied to persons to represent them as acting themselves. A man vacillates when he goes backward and forward in his opinions and purposes, without any fixity of mind or principles. A man wavers when he shrinks back or hesitates at the approach of difficulty or danger. One who is fluctuating in his feelings is usually vacillating in resolve, and wavering in execution.
Wiktionary
vb. (en-past of: fluctuate)
Usage examples of "fluctuated".
What was ostensibly its nightside fluoresced near the bottom end of the visible spectrum, producing a weary emberlike glow which fluctuated in continental-sized patterns as the dense turbulent clouds raged in never ending cyclones.
At the centre of one side, gravity fluctuated again, placing an enormous strain on local space.
The gravity in the blackhawk’s life-support capsule never fluctuated, he had a comfortable cabin to himself, the crew were friendly, and his navy escort officer was a cultured lady who made an excellent travelling companion.
The current in one of the organic conductor cables buried behind the wall fluctuated subtly.
Waiting for them five kilometres down was a medieval orange glow that fluctuated in no comprehensible rhythm.
It wasn’t a solid sphere, snowflake geometries fluctuated behind the overpowering glare.
The opening into darkness wasn’t yet complete, it fluctuated as those below hurled themselves against it.
Their courts were deserted, their number, which had once fluctuated between twelve and eighteen, ^106 was gradually reduced to two or three, and their important functions were confined to the expensive obligation ^107 of exhibiting games for the amusement of the people.
Half a dozen colored bars, of different lengths, fluctuated up and down.
As they took turns talking to the six subjects, the readouts on the screen fluctuated back and forth from one extreme to the other.
The background color of each screen fluctuated according to the subject's general emotional state.
This debris had formed a number of planets, whose surface conditions fluctuated widely.
The background color of each screen fluctuated according to the subject's general emotional state.
Her starboard sidewall fluctuated as more hits smashed the forward generators.
Its wedge fluctuated, then died, and Nike dispatched it to whatever hell awaited its crew with a single missile even as she writhed around to savage one of its consorts.