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When something bad or painful abates, it becomes less strong or severe.
If something, such as a sound, is undergoing a crescendo, it is getting louder and louder or increasing in intensity and is about to reach its peak strength.
The word homogeneous is used to describe a group that has members or parts which are similar or are all of the same type.
Something that is immutable is always the same and cannot be changed.
When something is inert, it has no power of movement or is inactive.
An organization or system that is a monolith is extremely large; additionally, it is unwilling or very slow to change or adopt something new.
If an object oscillates, it moves repeatedly from one point to another and then back again; if you oscillate between two moods or attitudes, you keep changing from one to the other.
If something plummets, it falls down from a high position very quickly; for example, a piano can plummet from a window, and a stock value can plummet during a market crash.
If you reciprocate, you give something to someone because they have given something similar to you.
Someone who has a sedentary habit, job, or lifestyle spends a lot of time sitting down without moving or exercising often.
A serpentine figure has a winding or twisting form, much like that of a slithering snake.
Something that is sinuous is shaped or moves like a snake, having many smooth twists and turns that can often be highly graceful.
Stasis is a state of little change over a long period of time, or a condition of inactivity caused by an equal balance of opposing forces.
If you are steadfast, you have a firm belief in your actions or opinions and refuse to give up or change them because you are certain that you are doing the right thing.
When something surges, it rapidly increases or suddenly rises.
If something—such as power, influence, or feeling—wanes, it gradually becomes weaker or less important, often so much so that it eventually disappears.
If you waver, you cannot decide between two things because you have serious doubts about which choice is better.
Verb
undulate
UHN-dyuh-layt
Context
I can watch the swelling and undulating ocean for hours, in a pleasant trance from its gentle constant motions of rising and falling. I love to watch seaweed as it is carried in and out on the tide, undulating in long strands that flow repeatedly back and forth. The bodies of fish undulate as they swim in and out of sight, diving and surfacing with the tide. Even the sound of the swinging of the waves as they crash and ebb undulates pleasantly on my awareness, causing me to relax deeply.
Mutual Fund Slate Good grief! One week financial advisers put mutual funds on the slate of good investments to make, the next week they don't--it's ridiculous how these fund slates undulate!
Examples
He would have noted how the streets of L.A. undulate over short hills as though a finger is poking the landscape from underneath.
— Steve Martin, American writer, actor, comedian, and musician
Many swimmers say the "wiggle" is the key to the stroke and that a swimmer who can undulate through the water naturally can more easily learn the butterfly.
—
The Washington Post
Prototype by prototype, they created an artificial tentacle with internal springs and wires that mirrored an octopus's muscles, until the device could undulate, elongate, shrink, stiffen and curl in a lifelike manner.
—
Scientific American
Enigmatic electronic group the Avalanches have released a new video for “Colours.” . . . In the clip, which features animation by Lost Art, the song’s multilayered production progresses as colorful flag-styled visuals taken from the album art undulate in soothing waves.
—
Rolling Stone
When something undulates, it moves like “little waves.”
Word Theater
How to Belly Dance A lesson in body undulations.
The panel shows a small video clip of either the word in actual use or a scene that represents the meaning of a word. This not only breaks up the monotony of studying words but also provides another avenue to strengthen word meaning. Enjoy!
Word Constellation
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Related Words
abate ·
crescendo ·
oscillate ·
plummet ·
reciprocate ·
serpentine+ ·
sinuous ·
surge* ·
wane ·
waver ·
homogeneous ·
immutable ·
inert ·
monolith ·
sedentary ·
stasis ·
steadfast ·
Similar sense
Opposite sense
Word Variants
undulatory
adj
→
moving in a wavelike motion
The section lists important variants and alternate definitions of the headword. Knowing variants will often help you both remember and understand the word. Not all variants are listed - only the ones we think that are important for you to know.
