oscillate

/ˈɒsɪleɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɑːsɪleɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈä-sə-ˌlāt/ (ame, mw)

oscillate — verb

  • oscillatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • oscillateshe / she / it
  • oscillatedpast simple
  • oscillating-ing form

1. to swing or move steadily side to side, or up and down, returning through the sa

1.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to swing or move steadily side to side, or up and down, returning through the same path again and again.

例句

The old wooden ceiling fan in Tomás's flat oscillated slowly above the dinner table.

subject is a physical device that swings

Kenji watched the pendulum oscillate behind the glass of the antique clock.

classic pendulum example

同義詞
  • swing

    more everyday word for the same motion

  • sway

    softer side-to-side motion, often of tall thin objects

  • rock

    gentler back-and-forth motion, often used of chairs or boats

文法句型

oscillate (between X and Y)

用法筆記

Subject is usually a physical object that pivots from a fixed point (fan, pendulum, sprinkler, branch). Distinguish from sense 2, where the subject is a person or feeling.

常見錯誤

❌The fan oscillates the air.
✅The fan oscillates as it blows air.
💡in this sense oscillate is intransitive; it does not take a direct object.

2. to keep moving in your mind from one feeling, opinion, or way of behaving to a v

2.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to keep moving in your mind from one feeling, opinion, or way of behaving to a very different one, then back again, often because you cannot decide.

例句

After getting the job offer, Hamza oscillated between excitement and panic for several days.

between + two opposing feelings

Samir's mood oscillated between calm hope and dark worry throughout the long hospital wait.

同義詞
  • waver

    more common; emphasises hesitation before a decision

  • vacillate

    near-synonym; even more formal and bookish

  • fluctuate

    used more for measurable things (prices, mood scores) than for opinions

反義詞
  • commit

    to settle firmly on one position rather than swing between options

文法句型

oscillate between X and Y

用法筆記

Almost always followed by 'between' plus two opposing nouns. Subject is typically a person, mood, opinion, or attitude. Distinguish from sense 1, where the motion is physical.

常見錯誤

❌Romi oscillated her opinion about the plan.
✅Romi oscillated between supporting and rejecting the plan.
💡needs 'between' + two contrasting things, not a direct object.

3. of a wave, electric signal, or measurable quantity: to rise above and fall below

3.動詞不及物C1
釋義

of a wave, electric signal, or measurable quantity: to rise above and fall below a middle value in a regular, repeated pattern.

例句

The voltage in the circuit oscillates at fifty cycles per second across most of Europe.

oscillate at + frequency

Yael showed the class how a sound wave oscillates as it travels through the air.

同義詞
  • fluctuate

    for any varying value; less tied to regular wave patterns

  • vibrate

    for very fast, small back-and-forth motion of a solid object

  • alternate

    for current that switches direction; standard term in 'alternating current'

反義詞
  • stabilise

    to settle at a steady value rather than rise and fall

文法句型

oscillate (in/at + frequency)

用法筆記

Used in physics, electronics, and signal contexts. Subject is a wave, current, signal, or measurable value, not a person. Often paired with a frequency expression ('at 50 Hz', 'at a fixed rate').

常見錯誤

❌The engineer oscillated the current.
✅The engineer made the current oscillate.
💡the verb is intransitive here; the wave or current is the subject, not the object.