mercurial

1 of 2

adjective

mer·cu·ri·al (ˌ)mər-ˈkyu̇r-ē-əl How to pronounce mercurial (audio)

: of, relating to, or born under the planet Mercury

: having qualities of eloquence, ingenuity, or thievishness attributed to the god Mercury or to the influence of the planet Mercury

: characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood

a mercurial temper

: of, relating to, containing, or caused by mercury

mercurially

(ˌ)mər-ˈkyu̇r-ē-ə-lē How to pronounce mercurial (audio)

adverb

mercurialness noun

mercurial

2 of 2

noun

: a pharmaceutical or chemical containing mercury

Example Sentences

Adjective Few moments in English history have been more hungry for the future, its mercurial possibilities and its hope of richness, than the spring of 1603.

Adam Nicolson, God's Secretaries, 2003 Though you could see all three places in one day, each of them makes you want to stay or to keep returning to watch the effects of the changing weather and the mercurial Sicilian light.

Francine Prose, Atlantic, December 2002 Some scientists suggest that because manic-depressive patients are ever riding the bio-chemical express between emotional extremes, their brains end up more complexly wired and remain more persistently plastic than do the brains of less mercurial sorts.

Natalie Angier, New York Times, 12 Oct. 1993 Still grinning, still miming, he samba-ed across the floor … and started in on the dishes with a vigor that would have prostrated his mercurial cousin.

T. Coraghessan Boyle, Harper's, October 1987 the boss's mood is so mercurial that we never know how he's going to react to anything

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Saylor’s emotional, mercurial style ignites heavy churn in the c-suite, hindering MicroStrategy’s growth.

Shawn Tully, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2022 Those older guys include mercurial, yet capable quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Aug. 2022 When House of the Dragon producers first began to contemplate casting an actor to play the pivotal role of Daemon Targaryen — a mercurial and enigmatic prince — one name kept popping up.

James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Aug. 2022 Comedians are notorious for being mercurial, thriving on public adulation.

Malina Saval, Variety, 22 July 2022 Nadal will next face mercurial Australian star Nick Kyrgios in the semis on Friday after Kyrgios prevailed in straight sets over Cristian Garin of Chile.

Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 6 July 2022 Democrats are also very wary of scaring off the mercurial Manchin with any pressure, despite knowing that a major economic package could potentially boost their political chances significantly.

Trish Turner, ABC News, 6 July 2022 If there’s no room for Dave Mastio — decent, measured, judicious, professional — there sure as hell is no room for mouthy, mercurial me.

Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 29 June 2022 There was a darn good reason Kyrie Irving opted into the final year of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets instead of testing free agency: there was no interest in a team with salary cap space that wanted to invest long term in the mercurial guard.

Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2022 See More

mercurial

adjective

as in volatile

likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly the boss's mood is so mercurial that we never know how he's going to react to anything

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

volatile
unpredictable
changeful
unstable
inconsistent
variable
temperamental
fickle
capricious
mutable
uncertain
fluctuating
unsettled
inconstant
changeable
fluid
erratic
skittish
flickery
unsteady
unreliable
random
arbitrary
scattered
vacillating
ambivalent
haphazard
wavering
desultory
protean
aimless
slapdash
shaky
up in the air
stray
untrustworthy
dicey
undependable
versatile
irregular
hesitating
adaptable
hit-or-miss
mobile
shilly-shallying
shilly-shally

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

constant
immutable
certain
stable
steady
predictable
unchanging
invariable
stationary
unvarying
unchangeable
equable
persistent
changeless
uniform
permanent
settled
even
durable
reliable
dependable
abiding
lasting
trustworthy
trusty
true
sure
tried
tried-and-true

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of mercurial are capricious, fickle, inconstant, and unstable. While all these words mean "lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion)," mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood.

made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament

The words capricious and mercurial can be used in similar contexts, but capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.

an utterly capricious critic

While in some cases nearly identical to mercurial, fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness.

performers discover how fickle fans can be

The synonyms inconstant and mercurial are sometimes interchangeable, but inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change.

an inconstant friend

Although the words unstable and mercurial have much in common, unstable implies an incapacity for remaining in a fixed position or steady course and applies especially to a lack of emotional balance.

too unstable to hold a job

单词	mercurial
释义	mercurial 1 of 2 adjective mer·cu·ri·al (ˌ)mər-ˈkyu̇r-ē-əl 1 : of, relating to, or born under the planet Mercury 2 : having qualities of eloquence, ingenuity, or thievishness attributed to the god Mercury or to the influence of the planet Mercury 3 : characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood a mercurial temper 4 : of, relating to, containing, or caused by mercury mercurially (ˌ)mər-ˈkyu̇r-ē-ə-lē adverb mercurialness noun mercurial 2 of 2 noun : a pharmaceutical or chemical containing mercury Did you know? The Roman god Mercury was the messenger and herald of the gods and also the god of merchants and thieves (his counterpart in Greek mythology is Hermes). He was noted for his eloquence, swiftness, and cunning, and the Romans named what appeared to them to be the fastest-moving planet in his honor. Mercurial comes from the Latin adjective mercurialis, meaning "of or relating to Mercury." Synonyms Adjective capricious changeable changeful fickle flickery fluctuating fluid inconsistent inconstant mutable skittish temperamental uncertain unpredictable unsettled unstable unsteady variable volatile See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Adjective Few moments in English history have been more hungry for the future, its mercurial possibilities and its hope of richness, than the spring of 1603. Adam Nicolson, God's Secretaries, 2003 Though you could see all three places in one day, each of them makes you want to stay or to keep returning to watch the effects of the changing weather and the mercurial Sicilian light. Francine Prose, Atlantic, December 2002 Some scientists suggest that because manic-depressive patients are ever riding the bio-chemical express between emotional extremes, their brains end up more complexly wired and remain more persistently plastic than do the brains of less mercurial sorts. Natalie Angier, New York Times, 12 Oct. 1993 Still grinning, still miming, he samba-ed across the floor … and started in on the dishes with a vigor that would have prostrated his mercurial cousin. T. Coraghessan Boyle, Harper's, October 1987 the boss's mood is so mercurial that we never know how he's going to react to anything Recent Examples on the Web Adjective Saylor’s emotional, mercurial style ignites heavy churn in the c-suite, hindering MicroStrategy’s growth. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2022 Those older guys include mercurial, yet capable quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Aug. 2022 When House of the Dragon producers first began to contemplate casting an actor to play the pivotal role of Daemon Targaryen — a mercurial and enigmatic prince — one name kept popping up. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Aug. 2022 Comedians are notorious for being mercurial, thriving on public adulation. Malina Saval, Variety, 22 July 2022 Nadal will next face mercurial Australian star Nick Kyrgios in the semis on Friday after Kyrgios prevailed in straight sets over Cristian Garin of Chile. Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 6 July 2022 Democrats are also very wary of scaring off the mercurial Manchin with any pressure, despite knowing that a major economic package could potentially boost their political chances significantly. Trish Turner, ABC News, 6 July 2022 If there’s no room for Dave Mastio — decent, measured, judicious, professional — there sure as hell is no room for mouthy, mercurial me. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 29 June 2022 There was a darn good reason Kyrie Irving opted into the final year of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets instead of testing free agency: there was no interest in a team with salary cap space that wanted to invest long term in the mercurial guard. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2022 See More Word History Etymology Adjective see mercury Noun see mercury First Known Use Adjective 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun 1676, in the meaning defined above Medical Definition mercurial 1 of 2 adjective mer·cu·ri·al (ˌ)mər-ˈkyu̇r-ē-əl : of, relating to, containing, or caused by mercury mercurial salves mercurial 2 of 2 noun : a pharmaceutical or chemical containing mercury the diuretic action of mercurials mercurial adjective as in volatile likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly the boss's mood is so mercurial that we never know how he's going to react to anything Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance volatile unpredictable changeful unstable inconsistent variable temperamental fickle capricious mutable uncertain fluctuating unsettled inconstant changeable fluid erratic skittish flickery unsteady unreliable random arbitrary scattered vacillating ambivalent haphazard wavering desultory protean aimless slapdash shaky up in the air stray untrustworthy dicey undependable versatile irregular hesitating adaptable hit-or-miss mobile shilly-shallying shilly-shally Antonyms & Near Antonyms constant immutable certain stable steady predictable unchanging invariable stationary unvarying unchangeable equable persistent changeless uniform permanent settled even durable reliable dependable abiding lasting trustworthy trusty true sure tried tried-and-true See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of mercurial are capricious, fickle, inconstant, and unstable. While all these words mean "lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion)," mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood. made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament The words capricious and mercurial can be used in similar contexts, but capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability. an utterly capricious critic While in some cases nearly identical to mercurial, fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness. performers discover how fickle fans can be The synonyms inconstant and mercurial are sometimes interchangeable, but inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change. an inconstant friend Although the words unstable and mercurial have much in common, unstable implies an incapacity for remaining in a fixed position or steady course and applies especially to a lack of emotional balance. too unstable to hold a job
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mercurial

adjective

noun

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Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Medical Definition

adjective

noun

adjective

Synonym Chooser