figurative. That slides or slips away; transitory; unstable, inconstant; passing.

Unsteady, insecure, precarious; unstable, wobbly; changeable, unsettled; inconstant, fickle, not to be relied on.

Resembling the wind in storminess, quality of sound, swiftness, †changefulness, etc.

Not remaining in the same state; liable to change or alteration. Of the world, life, etc.

That moves constantly, shifting, unstable, wandering; hence of a person or his attributes: Changeable, fickle, inconstant, vacillating. Obsolete.

Not rigidly or securely attached or fixed in place; ready to move in or come apart from the body to which it is joined or on which it rests.

figurative. Unstable; inconstant, fickle.

Not fixed in character or condition; exposed to vicissitude or chance; apt to change or alter; variable.

That varies, in senses of the verb; tending to vary or change. †Also const. from.

Of things: Exhibiting variation or change; tending to vary or alter; not remaining uniform.

Diversified in colour; variegated; particoloured; chequered; multicoloured. Formerly also: †made of motley (sense A. 1a) (obsolete).

Not based or established in something.

Changeable, variable; fickle. Also, of a ship: unsteady.

Liable to undergo change or decay. Obsolete.

Changeable, unstable; fickle, inconstant.

Subject to or capable of change, mutable. Also: impermanent, transitory, mortal.

Subject to change or alteration; mutable, shifting, variable. Also figurative: capable of being influenced or prevailed on; changeable, fickle…

Liable or apt to vary or change; (readily) susceptible or capable of variation; mutable, changeable… Of the course of events, the state of…

Uncertain, unstable, changeable, fleeting. (Cf. slidder, adj. 1c.)

Not to be depended upon; uncertain (in fact, action, duration, etc.); unreliable; changeable, inconstant, capricious, fickle, ‘kittle’. Now dialect.

Of fortune, conditions, etc.: = variable, adj. 1a. Obsolete. (In early use partly after sense A. 1)

Shifting, unstable; variable, inconstant.

Liable or subject to change or alteration.

Unstable, changeable, fickle. Obsolete.

Pliable, inconstant, changeable.

Changeable, unreliable, unsteady, wavering.

Liable to change, changeable, mutable.

Capable of turning or being turned; changing, inconstant, mutable.

figurative. Frail, weak; insecure, unstable; †transitory (obsolete). Later also: manifesting signs of instability or nervousness, esp. despite an…

False, deceitful, treacherous. Obsolete.

Liable to change; changeable, inconstant. Cf. permute, v. 2. Obsolete.

Unsound, weak, unreliable; unsteady, flighty. Obsolete.

Devoid of, lacking in, certainty or settled character; liable to change or accident.

That may be turned.

Not remaining in the same state; liable to change or alteration. Of persons, qualities, etc.

figurative. Wandering, straying, roving; inconstant, unsettled, wayward, etc.

Of things: Frequently changing or altering; mutable, variable, irregular.

Liable to alter or vary; variable, changeable. Obsolete.

figurative. Changeful, unstable, inconstant. Obsolete. (Cf. the quot. 1540 from the same poem under sense 2.)

Liable or prone to slip; readily giving way. Also of the memory, forgetful.

Of things: undergoing, exhibiting, subject to, variation or change; variable, changeful. Obsolete.

figurative. Mutable, changeable, uncertain.

Changeable.

Of a person or a personal attribute or opinion: changeable, shifting, inconstant. Obsolete.

Fitful, changing like the weather.

= inconstant, adj. 2.

Of one thing: Subject to change from one condition, state, etc. to another; changeable. Obsolete.

Moving like the waves; undulating. Chiefly figurative, unstable, wavering, changing.

Without stay or permanence, ever-changing, unsettled.

Passing from one state to another; changeable; not lasting, transient.

Liable to change; inconstant, variable, mutable. Now rare.

Changeable, varying; inconstant, fickle. Now somewhat archaic and rare.

In extended use.

Skipping about, jumping or flitting from one thing to another; irregularly shifting, devious; wavering, unsteady. literal and figurative.

Moved with every puff of wind.

Liable to change or alter; uncertain.

Of things: Not fixed or stationary; moving hither and thither; spec. in Pathology of certain blood-cells.

Likely to change; characterized by change; varying; inconstant, fickle. Chiefly poetic and literary.

Not fixed or settled in a definite state or place; fluctuating, variable, unstable. Esp. in floating population.

Of or relating to Proteus, like that of Proteus. Hence in extended use: adopting or existing in various shapes, variable in form; variously…

Unsupported, †unstable.

figurative. Wavering, unsteady. Obsolete. rare.

That is without an anchor (literal and figurative).

Of fortune: changeable, variable, inconstant.

Unstably balanced or poised; easily unbalanced or upset; unsteady; of a boat: easily capsized.

Of the weather: changeable, unsettled; showery; (of rain showers) unpredictable. Also of a period of time: having unsettled weather. Cf. catchy, adj.…

Prone to undergo change in position, nature, form, etc.; unstable; variable.

Without roots (literal and figurative).

figurative. Resembling quicksilver; bright, rapid, unpredictable, mercurial.

Marked or characterized by changeability or inconstancy; subject to change or fluctuation; variable, changeable.

Void of substance; not of stout or solid substance; unsubstantial. Also figurative.

Not certain to remain in one state or condition; unsteady, variable, fitful.

Tottering, unsteady, wavering.

figurative or in figurative contexts. Without a firm basis or foundation; having no settled home or social or family ties.

Readily unsettled or disturbed.

changing like the wind, inconstant.

Not solid; unsubstantial; weak, flimsy, light, unstable.

Not fixed or permanent; that moves or changes; that may be moved or changed.

Marked or characterized by versatility or variableness; versatile.

Of non-material things and conditions: able to be moulded or modified; impressionable, pliable; susceptible to influence; fluid, flexible.

= desultory, adj. 1.

Having no proper foundation; unsupported; not founded on or in something.

figurative and of non-physical things: Flowing or moving readily; not solid or rigid; not fixed, firm, or stable.

figurative and of non-material things: Fluid, liable to change; not stable, fixed, or rigid.

Of indefinite or indeterminate character; changeable; ambiguous.

Having the faculty of changing the skin. In quot. 1650 figurative.

transferred and figurative. Easily directed or swayed; yielding, tractable.

(un-, prefix1 affix 2.)

Diversified in character; full of constant alternation (esp. for the worse). Esp. in chequered career.

Liable to slide or alter. rare.

Having the faculty of changing or tendency to change.

= flickering, adj. 3.

That is in a state of flux; ever-changing, fluctuating, inconstant, variable.

Liable to pass or change; liable to err or fall. Const. into. ? Obsolete.

Of a material substance: changeable, reactive. Obsolete. rare.

figurative. Vacillating, variable, changeful.

figurative. of things (in various obvious allusions). †upon the weathercock, inclined to turn and vary.

Subject to or at the mercy of accidents; liable to chance and change.

Marked by absence of regularity, uniformity, staidness, or tranquillity.

Capable of being fermented.

Unfixed, unsettled, adrift; moving without a guide or control. Cf. sea, n. 10b.

figurative. Changeable, fickle. Now rare (U.S. regional in later use).

figurative. Fluctuating, wavering, changing.

Variable, inconstant, changing. Obsolete. rare.

Not settled or staid in character; of a restless or turbulent disposition.

Characterized by irregular fits of activity or strength; coming and going by fits and starts; full of irregular changes; spasmodic, shifting…

Changeable.

figurative. Exhibiting variations comparable to the rising and falling of waves.

Characterized by bouncing movement; unsteady, shaky, rickety.

Characterized by titubation, esp. staggering, faltering, unsteady. Often with reference to drunkenness.

Given to change; changeable. Obsolete. rare.

Made of papier mâché. Also figurative.

attributive and in other combinations, whirling like the top.

Of things: (a) varying, changeful; (b) unsteady, swaying.

transferred. Of things: Subject to change or irregularity, so as to appear ungoverned by law.

Of an inanimate object: readily affected or altered by a particular external factor; responsive or vulnerable to changes or influences of a…

of the nature of or resembling quicksilver; bright, lively, volatile.

(un-, prefix1 affix 2.)

Pertaining to, resulting from, or subject to ‘fluxion’ or flowing.

Changeable in form, assuming many forms; protean, multiform; extremely variable or various.

Not fixed or stable. Of movement: Facile, unconstrained.

unsteady, totterish.

Of or belonging to the kaleidoscope; exhibiting brightly coloured or continually varying figures like… With reference to (changing) colours.

Marked by adaptability or variety.

= kaleidoscopic, adj.

Given to tottering; shaky; unsteady.

Given to change or veer about like the wind; unstable.

Accompanied by or showing variation; variational.

Marked or characterized by, dealing with or concerning, variation, in various senses; spec. with reference to variation, n. 13b.

Shaky, unsteady; feeble, effeminate.

Capable of fluctuating. (Ogilvie 1882.)

Changeable or changeful; wavering. rare.

Capable of yielding.

Changing or shifting in position.

Characterized by tipping or tilting; unsteady. U.S.

Mutable, variable; subject to change.

In an uncertain or precarious position, looking likely to fall through or fail; unsteady, unstable.

figurative. = undulating, adj. 1c.

figurative. Variable, uneven (in character or quality); changeable, uncertain (in operation or activity). colloquial.

= tottlish adj.

Apt to ‘tipple’ or tip over; unsteady; = tippy, adj.2

figurative. Marked by alternations of success, etc.; changeful, variable. Also, of a person: subject to alternating or changing moods.

Having no inertia; responding instantaneously to any change in the forces acting on it.

Variable, unstable.

that rises and falls, or can be made to rise or fall; (Engineering) designating machine parts that can be raised or lowered during use, and equipment…

Capable of being switched between different positions or modes of operation. Frequently in technical contexts.