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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 In other words, our tools can make highly predictive recommendations about certain kinds of outcomes based on the capricious emotions of, in some cases, rather unstable people, or more serious and substantial predictions … driven by highly technical pattern observations that LLMs can help us with. John Werner, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025 His most capricious unilateral budget decisions have frayed the safety net, burdened veterans and frightened retirees who wonder what might become of Social Security. U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025 Kavanaugh was the only one to address whether the government's policy was arbitrary and capricious. John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025 District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia issued a summary judgment that the rules were arbitrary, capricious and an overreach of the authority of the agencies that wrote them in 2017. Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for capricious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for capricious
Adjective
  • Yet last week’s warning from Jet2, a business respected for its cost control and excellent customer service, has served as a reminder that, for all the impressive growth of recent years, this remains a volatile and sometimes unpredictable sector.
    Ian King, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
  • While any single month can be volatile and revisions can further change our understanding, hiring ground to a halt in May and June in the uncertain aftermath of the Liberation Day tariff announcements.
    Jeffrey Schulze, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Bold steps need calculated moves, not impulsive reactions.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Ari is a rich kid from New York, who is an impulsive motormouth desperate for Sam’s affection.
    Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Charleston’s unpredictable climate means summer can stretch well into October, then randomly resurface in January.
    Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • With recent polls showing Mamdani leading his rivals by double digits, the intersection of Hochul’s pragmatism, Mamdani’s outreach, and the powerful symbolism of their evolving relationship promises a uniquely unpredictable contest for New York’s future.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • They are set to reprise their roles as Jet and Frances, respectively, the Owens sisters’ eccentric aunts who educate them on all things magic.
    Jack Dunn, Variety, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Originally a mansion built in 1881, the 14-room boutique hotel feels like staying at your eccentric friend’s country home in the best way; splashy decor and mixed prints characterize the aesthetic, and many of the pieces are handmade or one-of-a-kind.
    Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 12 Sep. 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
  • Oliver Glasner cannot be accused of giving out inconsistent messages.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 15 Sep. 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, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Interest generally petered off after Boelter’s unstable condition came to light, as his murders appeared to lack a partisan motivation.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Chen has participated in both the supplier and wholesale sides of the alcoholic beverage three-tier system during his career and has witnessed the data discrepancy pain points under unstable policy change and nuanced market data in both segments.
    Nish Acharya, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Capricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/capricious. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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