What's the difference between fluctuate and vacillate?

Fluctuate


Definition:

  • (v. i.) To move as a wave; to roll hither and thither; to wave; to float backward and forward, as on waves; as, a fluctuating field of air.
  • (v. i.) To move now in one direction and now in another; to be wavering or unsteady; to be irresolute or undetermined; to vacillate.
  • (v. t.) To cause to move as a wave; to put in motion.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Spectral analysis of spontaneous heart rate fluctuations, a powerful noninvasive tool for quantifying autonomic nervous system activity, was assessed in Xenopus Laevis, intact or spinalized, at different temperatures and by use of pharmacological tools.
  • (2) The influence of the various concepts for the induction of lateral structure formation in lipid membranes on integral functional units like ionophores is demonstrated by analysing the single channel current fluctuations of gramicidin in bimolecular lipid membranes.
  • (3) During control, no significant difference between systolic fluctuation (delta Pa) and pleural swings (delta Ppl) was found.
  • (4) The fluctuations in [Ca2+]i measured with fura-2 were synchronized among the population of cells observed and were sensitive to extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o).
  • (5) Large emission intensity fluctuations are observed from analyte species in inductively coupled plasmas.
  • (6) The titres of phase I antibodies fluctuated from 0 to 16 depending on the antigen applied.
  • (7) Macroscopic fluctuations of liver alcohol dehydrogenase enzymic activity in complex reaction consisting in ethanol oxidation and butyraldehyde reduction were studied.
  • (8) The curve of glucose fluctuations was smoother after 50 micrograms than after 100 micrograms and control.
  • (9) During a single reversal trial of two 2-wk experimental periods, teats of all glands of 12 Holstein cows were subjected to a milking routine conducive to large vacuum fluctuations and flooded teat cups.
  • (10) For the case of the fluctuating pressure, the strength of the artery becomes considerably lower than those under constant amplitude and two-step-multi-duplicated pulsatile pressure.
  • (11) The fluctuations in heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) over 24-h were measured at 30-min and 1-h intervals, respectively.
  • (12) The large degree of inter-dose fluctuation between doses indicates that it is preferable to use pre-dose plasma sodium valproate levels to guide the clinical management of epileptic patients.
  • (13) Painful manifestations (arthralgia, myalgia), variable with fluctuations in the IS affection were observed in both groups (S1, S2).
  • (14) These apparent conflicting results between IK and the tail current could not be explained by extracellular K+ fluctuation, because 20 mM Cs+ alone depressed both factors, but an additional application of Ba2+ caused an increase in both components compared with those in the former condition.
  • (15) This model characterized the abnormal flow by a weak fluctuation of wall shear stress at the site adjacent to the vessel wall.
  • (16) The results of the present experiments show that capillary blood flow in the cerebral cortex fluctuates, whether the cat's head is supplied by the animal's intact circulation or by an artificial circulation system.
  • (17) Seasonal fluctuations in IOP were observed (P = 0.0007), with higher IOP occurring in the winter.
  • (18) Among all subgroups, the odds ratios adjusted for pertinent confounders and interactions fluctuated randomly by about 0.9 and showed no consistent trend with increased alcohol consumption.
  • (19) During 70 days or so from the time of recruitment until just before the beginning of the cycle during which a follicle is destined to ovulate, folliculogenesis is a continuous process dependent on gonadotrophins but independent of the fluctuations in their concentrations occurring during this time.
  • (20) The proportion of sampling runs characterized by normal fluctuating levels increased from 38% in the first 2 years of use to 80% during the 5th year of use.

Vacillate


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To move one way and the other; to reel or stagger; to waver.
  • (v. t.) To fluctuate in mind or opinion; to be unsteady or inconstant; to waver.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Significant associations were found in the relationship of suicide potential to verbal attack by spouse (p = .03), vacillation in the last two weeks (p = .02), and vacillation since the first serious discussion of divorce (p = .02).
  • (2) On reversed sequences they vacillated between reproducing the events as modeled and "correcting" them to canonical order.
  • (3) Culture conditions may provide an environment that permits proliferating glial cells to vacillate in their selection of a specific lineage.
  • (4) Trump had criticised Obama for vacillation and weakness.
  • (5) Relations between the White House and Congress have vacillated between close coordination one moment and leaving the other in the dark the next.
  • (6) Traditionally, NGOs vacillate between guilt and hope in their communications.
  • (7) Stuck between the cultist Friends of Radio 3 and Global Radio’s sprightly three-times-the-size Classic FM, the network vacillates between populist copying and public service broadcasting stodge.
  • (8) When first confronted by Arab political revolutions, Britain vacillated, reluctant to abandon useful and grubby friendship with corrupt regimes.
  • (9) Later she acquiesced in Ronald Reagan's decision to bomb Gaddafi, and famously told George Bush senior not to go wobbly on her as he vacillated over ousting Saddam's forces, which had invaded Kuwait.
  • (10) Chancellor George Osborne has made it even harder for small businesses to compete against multinationals by cutting the corporate tax rate, and presided over a collapse in business investment, particularly in the hugely promising 'green sector', which has suffered hugely from the government's inept vacillating on energy policy.
  • (11) He isn't, as Miliband is accused of being, weak, vacillating, unadventurous and academic.
  • (12) Much of his work in the last half of his life, and much of his continuing happiness, was inspired by Penny the second, whose enormous strengths of decency and determination creatively challenged his own vacillation and reluctance to make moral judgments.
  • (13) As one works through the stressful event, the victim vacillates between intrusion and avoidance, with the magnitude of those oscillations being much stronger at first.
  • (14) Major procedures included object permanence, vacillation, memory for locations and pictures, and reaction to unfamiliar adults and to separation.
  • (15) In Study 2, conducted four-months after Study 1, stable pairs (20 maintained mutual, MM) and vacillating ones (six growing mutual, GM; 11 decayed mutual, DM) were selected.
  • (16) Mitt Romney has expressed qualified concern about climate change over the years, and then vacillated about how much of it is human-caused and whether we should try to do anything about it.
  • (17) In the space of just a few weeks Moscow has been making the weather on the crisis – by seizing the initiative where the US and others have vacillated and failed.
  • (18) The cast of The Five vacillated between feigned solemnity and jocular NFL pregame oafishness.
  • (19) Most patients showed little denial throughout the period of observation, but more vulnerable patients tended to vacillate between denial and acceptance.
  • (20) Gerwig played the vacillating temptress in Hannah Takes the Stairs , the long-distance lover in Nights and Weekends , a jittery scream queen in the Duplass brothers’ Baghead .