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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective capricious differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of capricious are fickle, inconstant, mercurial, and unstable. While all these words mean "lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion)," capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.

an utterly capricious critic

When can fickle be used instead of capricious?

In some situations, the words fickle and capricious are roughly equivalent. However, fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness.

performers discover how fickle fans can be

Where would inconstant be a reasonable alternative to capricious?

Although the words inconstant and capricious have much in common, inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change.

an inconstant friend

When could mercurial be used to replace capricious?

The meanings of mercurial and capricious largely overlap; however, mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood.

made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament

When might unstable be a better fit than capricious?

While the synonyms unstable and capricious are close in meaning, 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of capricious First, few outdoor sports are as capricious in terms of conditions as surfing. Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2025 Aldo has found the immigration system capricious and confusing. Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 Cape Sweater Massimo Dutti Asymmetric Knit Cape A single afternoon in Milan can cycle through sunshine and rain at the drop of a hat; locals equip themselves for the capricious weather by dressing in layers. Abbey Hudetz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025 Can a poem offer any kind of freedom to the prisoner forced to kneel in 24-hours of light under the continual threat of capricious violence? Ed Simon september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for capricious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for capricious
Adjective
  • First, the electrodes and electrolytes are adjusted to handle high temperatures, specifically replacing the volatile liquid electrolyte used in traditional Li batteries.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Taking the long view Many finance leaders remain cautious, viewing bitcoin as too volatile—especially recently—compared to traditional assets.
    Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Young Luke was unfiltered and impulsive — what teenagers aren’t?
    Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The book follows a family dynasty — and specifically, the impulsive daughter of an automotive magnate — in 1927 Motor City, which has long enthralled the Salt to the Sea author.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • This combination allows for precise navigation in tight or unpredictable environments.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Tinker was brilliant, unpredictable, and slightly unhinged.
    Henry Selick, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • One man who became obsessed with Garfield after his 1880 speech was the eccentric Charles Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen), and the series follows his attempts to get a job in the administration.
    Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Heagerty will play Seph Marigold, Courteney’s eccentric and proud longtime stalker who just might turn out to also be her hero.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Rigorous, blustery winter; winding sleety spring; hot, moist enervating summer; changeful autumn with its dog-days; these are absolutely unknown.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Jan. 2023
  • Hers is the kind of face that inspires directors to tight framing — gleaming, as if smoothed from marble, and yet somehow pliant, changeful.
    Jordan Kisner Jack Davison, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2022
Adjective
  • The initiative’s foundation addresses the problem of inconsistent and burdensome reporting by engaging the industry to define an optional (and non-exhaustive) questionnaire aimed at strengthening data quality and consistency while significantly reducing the administrative burden on suppliers.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Knowing that Irving would miss much of the year recuperating from his ACL tear, Harrison signed inconsistent vet D'Angelo Russell in free agency this summer, but otherwise did little to address an obvious backcourt need.
    Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • On the big screen, Harford cared for Sandra Dee’s Rosalie Stocker in The Wild and the Innocent (1959) and portrayed the opportunistic older sister of Natalie Wood’s unstable title character in Inside Daisy Clover (1965), the melodrama directed by Robert Mulligan.
    Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Despite the improvements, her health has still been unstable over the years, partially due to her diagnosis of pulmonary vein stenosis, a rare disease that narrows the veins connecting the heart and the lungs, her father told the outlet.
    Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Capricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/capricious. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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