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os·cil·late
 oscillate
- pronunciation:
- a
s
leIt
- parts of speech:
- intransitive verb, transitive verb
| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| inflections: |
oscillated, oscillates, oscillating |
| definition 1: |
to swing steadily and repeatedly back and forth.
When the fan oscillates, different areas of the room get a breeze.My windshield wipers make a squeaky noise as they oscillate.- synonyms:
- sway, swing, vacillate, vibrate
- similar words:
- fluctuate, pivot, pulsate, seesaw, shake, undulate
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| definition 2: |
to waver between different or opposed opinions, conditions, or courses of action; vacillate.
I'm still oscillating between staying at my current job and accepting that company's offer.- synonyms:
- vacillate, waver
- similar words:
- alternate, equivocate, fluctuate, hedge, shilly-shally, swing, vary, yo-yo
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| definition 3: |
to vary or cause variances between opposite extremes, usu. as a repeated and regular fluctuation.
The stock market has a tendency to oscillate.- similar words:
- fluctuate, swing, vacillate
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| related words: |
fluctuate, hover, pitch, pulsate, shake, sway, swing, tremble, vary, vibrate, waver |
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| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| definition: |
to cause to oscillate.
- similar words:
- fluctuate, pivot, shake, sway, swing, vibrate, wave
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| related words: |
fluctuate, shake, swing |
| derivations: |
oscillatory (adj.), oscillator (n.) |
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