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flighty

flighty

9 7.4
A person who changes plans and loses interest easily
  • adjective
  • /ˈflaɪti/
translation icon : inconstante
  • Well, maybe he's too flighty and irresponsible.

And when you do, you will go from flighty to focused.

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Examples

Synonyms

erratic
vsflighty
94 6.1

Not regular or predictable and likely to change suddenly

is similar but emphasizes excitability and being easily distracted more
skittish
vsflighty
25 7.0

Easily frightened or nervous and likely to move suddenly

is unpredictable also from restlessness and being easily drawn away
flaky
vsflighty
  • Informal
15 5.9

Being a bit strange in behavior or appearance

is unpredictable because of excitability and distractibility, not just eccentricity
temperamental
vsflighty
12 6.5

Tends to change mood suddenly and act in an unexpected way

is unpredictable mainly through excitability and distraction rather than deep moodiness
squirrelly
vsflighty
  • Informal
10 9.1

Feeling nervous and acting in strange, unpredictable ways

is unpredictable more from distractibility and excitable tendencies rather than jitteriness
ditzy
vsflighty
  • Informal
5 8.2

Silly and a little forgetful in a friendly way

is unpredictable due to excitability rather than mainly being playful or silly
scatterbrained
vsflighty
  • Offensive
3 7.3

A person who is not organized, easily distracted, and often forgets things

is less about disorder and more about excitable unreliability and mood shifts
squirrely
vsflighty
  • Informal
3 8.4

Acting nervous and strange in a way you cannot predict

is unpredictable too but often more driven by light excitability
fluttery
vsflighty
2 4.9

Feeling nervous and excited with a quick, shaky feeling in the body

is unpredictable mainly because of excitability and unreliability not just nervousness
distractible
vsflighty
1 5.8

Likely to lose attention when other things happen

is unpredictable for emotional excitability and unreliability as well as distraction
flitty
vsflighty
  • UK
8.4

Acting quickly and changing mood or interest often

is unpredictable because of excitability and lack of steady reliability
flyaway
vsflighty
  • Informal
8.5

Likely to act on sudden ideas without careful planning

is unpredictable more from being excitable and easily distracted than whimsy
a bit switchy
vsflighty
  • UK
9.2

Often changes mood or behavior quickly and without warning

is more strongly unstable and easily distracted than merely somewhat changeable
head-in-the-clouds
vsflighty
  • Informal
7.9

Thinking in a dreamy way and not noticing everyday tasks

is unpredictable more through excitability and sudden distraction than dreamy absence

Antonyms

358 2.7

Able to be trusted to do what is expected

186 1.3

Firm and unlikely to be moved or upset

How Flighty

capricious
19 7.9
fickle
39 6.2
flighty
9 7.4
distractible
1 5.8
restless
110 3.0

Surface Forms

flighty positive
flightier comparative
flightiest superlative

Morphology

flighty = flight (semi-transparent) = flight + y

The adjective is formed by adding '-y' to 'flight', but the meaning 'fickle, capricious' is a metaphorical extension from 'flight' (tending to take sudden 'flights' of fancy) rather than a strictly compositional sense.

Etymology

The word flighty comes from the word flight, which means 'to fly away' or 'a quick move'. Think of someone who easily 'takes flight' like a bird and so leaves plans or changes their mind quickly, which is why flighty means not steady or reliable.