capricious
/kəˈprɪʃəs
/adjective
1Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behaviour: a capricious and often brutal administration...
- It's an amusing idea, that even the harbingers of capitalism are subject to the ever-changing moods of capricious Mother Nature.
- It is capricious and fickle, changing moods easily.
- In any event, I reserve the right to be arbitrary and capricious in choosing which comments to delete because they cross the line.
Synonyms
fickle, inconstant, changeable, variable, unstable, mercurial, volatile, erratic, vacillating, irregular, inconsistent, fitful, arbitrary;
impulsive, temperamental, wild, ungovernable;
whimsical, fanciful, flighty, wayward, quirky, faddish, freakish;
unpredictable, random, chance, haphazard
1.1Changing according to no discernible rules; unpredictable: a capricious climate...
- In short, they're picky eaters, and their appetites are capricious and unpredictable.
- Relatively incorrupt, they brought an end to the capricious violence of the warlords who ruled in the post-Soviet vacuum.
- Having laws you're not going to enforce is an invitation for capricious and arbitrary prosecution.
Derivatives
capriciously
/ adverb ...- We felt that we were asking them to abide by their standards, which were being executed capriciously.
- Neither has the tsunami anything in common with God's final judgement, as the tsunami killed and destroyed capriciously, without rhyme or reason.
- But can an Assembly be dissolved arbitrarily, capriciously, whimsically, at the absolute discretion of a Chief Minister?
capriciousness
/ noun ...- As it was, this random capriciousness on his part ended up providing me with my main home address for the next 16 years.
- And I like to think there's still a little of that capriciousness to my choices.
- Y'know, I'm starting to be concerned at my own capriciousness.
Origin
Early 17th century: from French capricieux, from Italian (see capriccioso).