vagary
12
9.5
- noun
- /ˈveɪɡəri/
:
capricho
- As for Diana, she was so accustomed to the vagaries of teenagers that she let the matter drop.
- vagaries of weather
- vagaries of nature
- vagaries of politics
There's no reason that we should be held hostage to the demented vagaries of people with whom we have nothing.
- There's no reason that we should be held hostage to the demented vagaries of people with whom we have nothing.
- What they do is pay lip service to the vagaries of a of a pretentious mission statement, which simply reeks of hypocrisy.
Examples
-
The passage of time and the vagaries of her memory caused her to walk past it twice.
Fiction book (2001) -
Obtaining permission to leave the camp often depends on the vagaries of the camp authorities.
Academic text (1997) -
MURPHY: Ours is not to reason why ours is but to submit to the vagaries of local politicians.
-
But Halovic also knew that the vagaries of weather and mechanical malfunction could throw the timetable off.
Fiction book (1996) -
Dad and I stroll aimlessly, discussing the vagaries of family and of blood memories, accomplishments, and regrets.
Academic text (2011) -
Amlie is the long-suffering Madeleine, an almost silent witness to the vagaries of her husband's temperament.
Academic text (1990) -
Her mood swings were often just the vagaries of a restless mind.
-
The vagaries of the stock market can leave investors feeling uncertain.
-
Traveling during the winter months means we must prepare for the vagaries of weather changes.
Synonyms
5
9.9
A change in life or luck that is often sudden and unpleasant
Antonyms
How Unpredictable
Surface Forms
Morphology
vagary = vag + ary
Although the form includes the root-like element 'vag' and the suffix '-ary', these are not productive, familiar English components for typical learners, so the meaning 'an unpredictable or inexplicable whim' cannot be reliably derived from the parts.
Etymology
Vagary comes from the root vag- meaning 'to wander', the same root behind English words like vague and vagrant. So a vagary is like a 'wandering' change, an odd, unpredictable turn in mood, weather, or behavior.