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flightiness

flightiness

8.1
A tendency to change plans or feelings suddenly without thinking
  • noun
  • /ˈflaɪtɪnəs/
translation icon : inconstancia
  • Simplicissimus returned to this theme time and again from 1904 until World War I, the main themes being French flightiness and British subversion of German security interests, first by allying with Japan, then by getting into bed with France.

Examples

  • Her flightiness made it hard for her friends to know when she would cancel plans at the last minute.

  • Emotions such as love, humor, nobility, flightiness, and finally, peace can be heard in this work.

    Academic text (2015)
  • As Neustadt and May observed, Carter had a capacity for intense concentration on detail combined with a curious flightiness, which could carry him from subject to subject or, on a given subject, to one conviction one day and an opposite the next.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Ridiculed, I have translated the title as Princess Butterflies because it evokes both the flightiness and beauty of the play's two main female characters, Magdelon and Cathos," he said.

    Blog text (20)
  • From the exploration of this aspect, a further perspective emerges: the perceived flightiness of the Rococo also had implications related to contemporary notions of national character and expectations of characteristically national art.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The child's flightiness often surprised her parents, as she seemed to change her mind about activities without warning.

  • His flightiness in making decisions left his colleagues feeling uncertain about their project directions.

Synonyms

whimsy
vsflightiness
18 6.3

A playful, unusual idea or action that feels light and fun

leans more toward quick, often irresponsible actions rather than playful imagination
impulsiveness
vsflightiness
4 5.9

A habit of acting quickly without thinking about the results

adds a sense of unpredictability and change in moods or choices
fickleness
vsflightiness
1 7.3

A habit of changing feelings or promises so people cannot trust someone

focuses more on quick impulsive choices rather than steady unreliability
rashness
vsflightiness
1 5.6

Acting or speaking quickly without thinking about the bad results

is less about danger and more about sudden, aimless impulses
capriciousness
vsflightiness
1 8.9

A pattern of sudden, unpredictable changes in mood or plans

is more about acting on sudden impulses and unstable attention
impetuousness
vsflightiness
1 8.7

A tendency to act quickly without thinking, often causing problems

includes similar rash action but with more focus on fickle shifts
impetuosity
vsflightiness
1 8.9

A tendency to act quickly without thinking that causes rash decisions

places more emphasis on being changeable and whimsical as well
fickle nature
vsflightiness
7.0

A habit of often changing one's mind or feelings without warning

is driven more by snap impulses and playful urges than mere inconsistency
erraticism
vsflightiness
8.4

Unpredictable and inconsistent behavior

is similar but specifically involves acting on sudden urges and whims
temperamental behavior
vsflightiness
7.2

Sudden unpredictable mood changes that affect how a person acts

is broader, covering impulsive acts as well as mood shifts
whimsicality
vsflightiness
7.9

A playful, imaginative way of acting or creating that seems unusual and unpredictable

is more about sudden impulse driven choices than light playful creativity

Antonyms

How much you can know about what will happen next

4 3.6

The state of being calm and not changing under pressure

How Fickle

flightiness
8.1
inconsistency
30 4.8
steadiness
4 3.6

Surface Forms

flightiness singular
flightinesses plural

Morphology

flightiness = flighty (transparent) = flight + y + ness

Forming the noun from the adjective 'flighty' with the productive suffix '-ness' is a straightforward, predictable derivation.

Etymology

The word flightiness comes from flight (from 'to fly') and the ending -iness that makes a word meaning a 'quality'. Imagine a bird that suddenly takes flight and flies away; flightiness is like that — being quick to change your mind or act on sudden ideas instead of staying steady.