oscillate

[ os-uh-leyt ]
See synonyms for oscillate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object),os·cil·lat·ed, os·cil·lat·ing.
  1. to swing or move to and fro, as a pendulum does.

  2. to vary or vacillate between differing beliefs, opinions, conditions, etc.: He oscillates regularly between elation and despair.

  1. Physics. to have, produce, or generate oscillations.

  2. Mathematics. (of a function, sequence, etc.) to tend to no limit, including infinity: The sequence 0, 1, 0, 1, … oscillates.

verb (used with object),os·cil·lat·ed, os·cil·lat·ing.
  1. to cause to move to and fro; vibrate.

Origin of oscillate

1
1720–30; <Latin oscillātus (past participle of oscillāre “to swing, ride on a swing”), equivalent to oscill(um) “a swing” + -ātus -ate1

synonym study For oscillate

1. See swing1.

Other words for oscillate

Other words from oscillate

  • in·ter·os·cil·late, verb, in·ter·os·cil·lat·ed, in·ter·os·cil·lat·ing.
  • un·os·cil·lat·ing, adjective

Words that may be confused with oscillate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for oscillate

oscillate

/ (ˈɒsɪˌleɪt) /


verb
  1. (intr) to move or swing from side to side regularly

  2. (intr) to waver between opinions, courses of action, etc

  1. physics to undergo or produce or cause to undergo or produce oscillation

Origin of oscillate

1
C18: from Latin oscillāre to swing, from oscillum a swing

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012