oscillate

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitivetechnical

   To swing or move steadily to and fro, passing again and again through the same points.

   Grammar: No object; often followed by between or around: the pendulum oscillates.

   Patterns

   • oscillate between something and something
   • oscillate around something

   The pendulum oscillated slowly inside the old clock.

   The bridge began to oscillate dangerously in the strong wind.

   A guitar string oscillates when you pluck it.

2. 2verbintransitivefigurative

   To keep changing back and forth between two feelings, opinions or choices without settling on one.

   Grammar: Usually followed by between: oscillate between hope and fear.

   Patterns

   • oscillate between something and something
   • oscillate wildly

   She oscillated between accepting the job and staying where she was.

   His mood oscillates between excitement and worry before every exam.

   Public opinion has oscillated on the issue for years.

3. 3verbintransitivephysicstechnical

   Of an electric current or signal, to vary regularly in strength or direction.

   Grammar: No object: the current oscillates at a fixed frequency.

   Patterns

   • oscillate at a frequency

   The circuit makes the current oscillate at fifty cycles a second.

   Radio waves are produced when charge oscillates in an antenna.

   The signal oscillates rapidly, so it is displayed as a wavy line.

Word forms

Common combinations

oscillate between

The market oscillates between fear and greed.

oscillate wildly

The needle oscillated wildly during the earthquake.

oscillate back and forth

The fan oscillates back and forth across the room.

oscillate around the mean

Temperatures oscillate around the yearly mean.

oscillate at a frequency

The crystal oscillates at a very precise frequency.

Synonyms and how they differ

swing

Swing is the everyday word for physical movement and does not suggest the regular, repeated pattern that oscillate does.

fluctuate

Fluctuate describes irregular rises and falls in figures, while oscillate suggests a back-and-forth between two points.

waver

Waver stresses hesitation and uncertainty in a person, whereas oscillate can describe machines and waves too.

vacillate

Vacillate refers only to indecision in people, and it sounds more critical than oscillate.

Opposites

Word family

oscillation noun

one complete back-and-forth movement, or the repeated movement itself

oscillator noun

a device that produces regular oscillations

oscillating adjective

moving back and forth repeatedly

oscillatory adjective

involving or characterized by oscillation

Commonly confused: oscillate or osculate? oscillate or fluctuate?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “oscillate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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