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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 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 But in Train Dreams, that stillness feels observational, taking in a world full of senseless injustice and capricious fate set amid the stunning beauty of the western states. Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025 His continued snubbing is a reflection of the capricious dynamics that so often dictate where the trophy ends up. Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025 Moreover, Burroughs further held that the administration’s actions were arbitrary and capricious, in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for capricious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for capricious
Adjective
  • With a roster that includes Margot Robbie, Miles Teller and Brooke Shields, Ullman says tariff anxiety shoehorned into an already volatile market and tense political climate has pushed clients to be far more conservative.
    Trey Williams, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Gold has seen historic gains in 2025, its more-than-50% surge surpassing previous volatile periods such as after the September 11 attacks, the 2008 financial crisis or even the Covid-19 pandemic.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • These people are all very reactive and very impulsive.
    Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
  • In Jay Kelly’s titular role, the Oscar winner does plenty of looking back during an impulsive train trip from France to Italy.
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • His characters were often brutally unpredictable.
    Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • New York can be very unpredictable and has been this season.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Timothy Simons portrays Noah’s eccentric older brother, Sasha, who’s married to Esther Roklov (Jackie Tohn) and forms an unlikely friendship with Morgan.
    Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The original series followed an eccentric American family with four sons, including gifted genius Malcolm (Muniz) and brothers Francis (Masterson), Reese (Berfield) and Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan), led by parents Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek).
    Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 24 Oct. 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
  • By the end of the season, one of the biggest conversations regarding the WNBA revolved around what many saw as inconsistent officiating, which can arguably result in mixed messages about what level of physicality is allowed on the court.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Fairlead Strategies or its affiliates may have positions in financial instruments mentioned, may have acquired such positions at prices no longer available, and may have interests different from or adverse to your interests or inconsistent with the advice herein.
    Katie Stockton, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • These early casualties highlight the risks posed by prolonged rainfall and unstable terrain, even before a storm reaches peak intensity.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Earlier types of electrides were unstable and difficult to reproduce.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Capricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/capricious. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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