Definitions Related words Phrases Mentions Lyrics History

Literary notes about fluctuating (AI summary)

The word "fluctuating" in literature often serves to evoke a sense of instability or continuous change, whether it describes the dynamics of nature, society, or the inner workings of the human heart. It is used to portray the shifting and often unpredictable qualities of physical phenomena—as seen in references to the "fluctuating waves" of social life [1] or the "fluctuating glow" on the horizon [2]—as well as the variability in economic conditions [3] and human emotions, where affections or moods may be "continually fluctuating" [4]. In historical and philosophical works, the term illustrates the transitory balance between forces or the uncertain course of events, suggesting that change is the only constant [5]. Across genres, "fluctuating" imbues descriptions with a dynamic quality that underscores the mutable nature of both the external world and internal states.
  1. In this republican country, amid the fluctuating waves of our social life, somebody is always at the drowning-point.
    — from The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  2. And there was a bluish, fluctuating glow on the horizon.
    — from Anything You Can Do ... by Randall Garrett
  3. This fluctuating, extremely tenuous solar wind seems to dominate interplanetary space in our region of the solar system.
    — from Mariner Mission to Venus by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (U.S.)
  4. Her affections had been continually fluctuating, but never without an object.
    — from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  5. By their private hostilities the city and country were desolated, and the fluctuating balance inclined with their alternate success.
    — from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon

More usage examples

Also see: Google, News, Images, Wikipedia, Reddit, BlueSky


Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Word games   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Random word   Help


Color thesaurus

Use OneLook to find colors for words and words for colors

See an example

Literary notes

Use OneLook to learn how words are used by great writers

See an example

Word games

Try our innovative vocabulary games

Play Now

Read the latest OneLook newsletter issue: Compound Your Joy