pendulum
/ˈpɛndʒələm/
noun
- A weight hung from a fixed point so that it can swing freely, especially one used to regulate the movement of a clock.
- The grandfather clock's pendulum swung steadily back and forth.
- He used a pendulum to demonstrate the laws of motion to the class.
- The old pendulum in the tower kept perfect time for over a century.
- Something that swings back and forth between two extremes, such as an opinion, trend, or situation.
- The political pendulum has swung from left to right over the past decade.
- The pendulum of public opinion shifted dramatically after the scandal.
- Fashion is a pendulum, always returning to styles from earlier decades.
Synonyms