fluctuate

/ˈflʌktʃueɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈflʌktʃueɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈflək-chə-ˌwāt -chü-ˌāt/ (ame, mw)

fluctuate — verb

  • fluctuatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • fluctuateshe / she / it
  • fluctuatedpast simple
  • fluctuating-ing form

1. to keep going up and down, often by a large amount — for example, prices that ju

1.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to keep going up and down, often by a large amount — for example, prices that jump higher one week and drop the next, or a fever that rises in the evening and falls by morning.

例句

Oil prices fluctuated wildly during the three-week strike at the port.

fluctuate + adverb (wildly, sharply, slightly)

Cyrus noticed that his blood sugar fluctuated between meals, so he started eating more often.

同義詞
  • vary

    more neutral; doesn't suggest up-and-down swings

  • oscillate

    more technical; emphasises regular back-and-forth motion

  • swing

    informal; often used of moods or opinions

反義詞

文法句型

fluctuate between X and Y

fluctuate from X to Y

用法筆記

Subject is usually a measurable quantity (price, temperature, rate, level, mood). Often paired with adverbs of degree like 'wildly', 'sharply', 'slightly' to signal how big the swings are.

常見錯誤

❌The price fluctuated to 50 dollars.
✅The price fluctuated around 50 dollars.
💡fluctuate describes movement up and down, not movement toward a single value.

2. to make a level, price, or value keep going up and down — used when something or

2.動詞及物C2
釋義

to make a level, price, or value keep going up and down — used when something or someone is the cause of the swings rather than just experiencing them.

例句

Central bank rumours fluctuated the exchange rate all morning, frustrating short-term traders.

transitive: [factor] fluctuates [measurable quantity]

New tariffs fluctuated commodity prices on a daily basis last spring.

同義詞
  • destabilise

    stronger; implies disruption rather than mere variation

  • vary

    transitive 'vary' (e.g. vary the speed) is more common than transitive 'fluctuate'

反義詞

文法句型

fluctuate + object

用法筆記

Rare and formal — most writers prefer 'cause X to fluctuate' or 'make X fluctuate'. Distinguish from sense 1: here the subject is the trigger (rumours, tariffs, heat), not the thing swinging.

常見錯誤

❌The trader fluctuated about the decision.
✅The trader wavered about the decision.
💡'fluctuate' takes a thing being moved (a price, a level), not an attitude or opinion.