Oscillate
(verb)
- To swing or move back and forth regularly and repeatedly, often with a slight irregularity.
- To fluctuate between two or more states, opinions, or conditions.
Origin:
From latin oscillatus, past participle of oscillare ("to swing, waver"), from oscillum ("a small swing"), from os ("mouth") + -cillum (diminutive suffix).
Examples:
- The pendulum oscillates back and forth with a steady rhythm.
- The bridge oscillated in the wind, making it difficult to cross.
- The stock market oscillates, with prices rising and falling regularly.
- He oscillated between different options before making a decision.
- The politician's opinions oscillated depending on the audience he was addressing.