mercurial
7
8.2
- adjective
- /mɜrˈkjʊəriəl/
:
caprichoso
- He had a mercurial temper, shifting from laughter to anger in mere moments.
- a mercurial personality
You know, Donald Trump has a lot of talent, but he's mercurial and capricious.
- You know, Donald Trump has a lot of talent, but he's mercurial and capricious.
- Is it facile or is it so mercurial that maybe maybe you shouldn't trust me?
- They were, you know, they were not mercurial.
- I found them to be dreamy, mercurial, almost charmingly childlike people about love and relationships.
Examples
-
In his early actions, the Mexican president has been mercurial and sometimes surprisingly unconventional.
Academic text (2001) -
U.S. leadership, such as House Speaker John Boehner, is very mercurial and has displayed hawkish tendencies recently.
Blog text (9) -
I never try to plan much because both life and Hollywood are mercurial.
Academic text (2008) -
In a time gone by, I would have been described as having a "mercurial personality."
Blog text (26) -
Robert displayed good business sense, but he also had a mercurial personality.
Academic text (1990) -
If you know he's so mercurial, how come you brought him?
Fiction book (1996) -
Sihanouk has a mercurial personality.
Academic text (2002) -
European powers have been just as mercurial in their alliance-building as any supposedly less principled powers.
Blog text (16) -
But Wesley's moods were mercurial, and he seemed to find what he had just said amusing.
Fiction book (2001) -
Pearson, who developed early misgivings over the conduct of the Vietnam War, learned firsthand of President Johnson's mercurial temperament.
Academic text (1998)
Synonyms
94
6.1
Not regular or predictable and likely to change suddenly
91
4.4
A person whose mood or behavior changes suddenly
77
7.0
Likely to change suddenly and become more dangerous
50
3.2
Often feels angry or sad quickly for no clear reason
39
6.2
Changing often in a way you cannot rely on
19
7.9
Showing sudden changes in mood, like going from happy to angry
12
6.5
Tends to change mood suddenly and act in an unexpected way
7
8.4
Full of strong, stormy feelings, often with loud arguments
Likely to change mood or behavior quickly and without warning
Often changes mood or behavior quickly and without warning
Antonyms
Compounds
- Archaic
An ointment with mercury used long ago to treat skin problems like lice and syphilis
How Changeable
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Mercurial comes from Mercury, both the changeable god and the liquid metal, so a 'mercurial' person or mood is one that changes suddenly and is hard to predict.