mercurial
1 of 2adjective
mercurial
2 of 2noun
Did you know?
The Roman god Mercury was the messenger and herald of the gods and also the god of merchants and thieves (his counterpart in Greek mythology is Hermes). He was noted for his eloquence, swiftness, and cunning, and the Romans named what appeared to them to be the fastest-moving planet in his honor. Mercurial comes from the Latin adjective mercurialis, meaning "of or relating to Mercury."
Synonyms
Adjective
- capricious
- changeable
- changeful
- fickle
- flickery
- fluctuating
- fluid
- inconsistent
- inconstant
- mutable
- skittish
- temperamental
- uncertain
- unpredictable
- unsettled
- unstable
- unsteady
- variable
- volatile
Example Sentences
Adam Nicolson, God's Secretaries, 2003 Though you could see all three places in one day, each of them makes you want to stay or to keep returning to watch the effects of the changing weather and the mercurial Sicilian light. Francine Prose, Atlantic, December 2002 Some scientists suggest that because manic-depressive patients are ever riding the bio-chemical express between emotional extremes, their brains end up more complexly wired and remain more persistently plastic than do the brains of less mercurial sorts. Natalie Angier, New York Times, 12 Oct. 1993 Still grinning, still miming, he samba-ed across the floor … and started in on the dishes with a vigor that would have prostrated his mercurial cousin. T. Coraghessan Boyle, Harper's, October 1987 the boss's mood is so mercurial that we never know how he's going to react to anything Shawn Tully, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2022 Those older guys include mercurial, yet capable quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Aug. 2022 When House of the Dragon producers first began to contemplate casting an actor to play the pivotal role of Daemon Targaryen — a mercurial and enigmatic prince — one name kept popping up. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Aug. 2022 Comedians are notorious for being mercurial, thriving on public adulation. Malina Saval, Variety, 22 July 2022 Nadal will next face mercurial Australian star Nick Kyrgios in the semis on Friday after Kyrgios prevailed in straight sets over Cristian Garin of Chile. Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 6 July 2022 Democrats are also very wary of scaring off the mercurial Manchin with any pressure, despite knowing that a major economic package could potentially boost their political chances significantly. Trish Turner, ABC News, 6 July 2022 If there’s no room for Dave Mastio — decent, measured, judicious, professional — there sure as hell is no room for mouthy, mercurial me. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 29 June 2022 There was a darn good reason Kyrie Irving opted into the final year of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets instead of testing free agency: there was no interest in a team with salary cap space that wanted to invest long term in the mercurial guard. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2022 See More Word History
Adjective
see mercury
Noun
see mercury
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1676, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
mercurial 1 of 2
adjective
mercurial
2 of 2noun
mercurial
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- volatile
- unpredictable
- changeful
- unstable
- inconsistent
- variable
- temperamental
- fickle
- capricious
- mutable
- uncertain
- fluctuating
- unsettled
- inconstant
- changeable
- fluid
- erratic
- skittish
- flickery
- unsteady
- unreliable
- random
- arbitrary
- scattered
- vacillating
- ambivalent
- haphazard
- wavering
- desultory
- protean
- aimless
- slapdash
- shaky
- up in the air
- stray
- untrustworthy
- dicey
- undependable
- versatile
- irregular
- hesitating
- adaptable
- hit-or-miss
- mobile
- shilly-shallying
- shilly-shally
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- constant
- immutable
- certain
- stable
- steady
- predictable
- unchanging
- invariable
- stationary
- unvarying
- unchangeable
- equable
- persistent
- changeless
- uniform
- permanent
- settled
- even
- durable
- reliable
- dependable
- abiding
- lasting
- trustworthy
- trusty
- true
- sure
- tried
- tried-and-true
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of mercurial are capricious, fickle, inconstant, and unstable. While all these words mean "lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion)," mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood.
The words capricious and mercurial can be used in similar contexts, but capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.
While in some cases nearly identical to mercurial, fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness.
The synonyms inconstant and mercurial are sometimes interchangeable, but inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change.
Although the words unstable and mercurial have much in common, unstable implies an incapacity for remaining in a fixed position or steady course and applies especially to a lack of emotional balance.