MEANING
1. To vary or regulate a quality such as tone, pitch, or intensity.
2. To vary a carrier signal according to information to be transmitted.
3. To move from one musical key to another.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- modulate a voice
- modulate intensity
On the page
She modulated her voice without breaking its rhythm.
He modulated the scene’s intensity through shorter exchanges.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- modulate
- Past tense
- modulated
- Past participle
- modulated
- Present participle
- modulating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- modulate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are modulating
- Present perfect
- have/has modulated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been modulating
- Past
- modulated
- Past continuous
- was/were modulating
- Past perfect
- had modulated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been modulating
- Future
- will modulate
- Future continuous
- will be modulating
- Future perfect
- will have modulated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been modulating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: modulate; modulates; modulated; modulated; modulating Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: modulates.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.