Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

fickle

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of fickle

1 likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
  • a fickle friendship that was on and off over the years
Synonyms of fickle

capricious, changeable, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile
Words Related to fickle

aimless, arbitrary, desultory, erratic, haphazard, hit-or-miss, irregular, random, scattered, slapdash, stray

ambivalent, hesitating, shaky, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, vacillating, wavering

dicey, undependable, unreliable, untrustworthy

adaptable, mobile, protean, versatile
Phrases Synonymous with fickle

up in the air
Near Antonyms of fickle

equable, even, uniform

abiding, durable, lasting, permanent, persistent

dependable, reliable, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty
Antonyms of fickle

certain, changeless, constant, immutable, invariable, predictable, settled, stable, stationary, steady, unchangeable, unchanging, unvarying
2 not true in oneʼs allegiance to someone or something
  • when the familyʼs fortune disappeared, so did their fickle friends
Synonyms of fickle

disloyal, faithless, false, inconstant, perfidious, recreant, traitorous, treacherous, unfaithful, untrue
Words Related to fickle

irresponsible, trustless, undependable, unreliable, untrustworthy

faltering, hesitant, vacillating, wavering

dubious, irresolute, uncertain

apathetic, dispassionate, uninterested
Near Antonyms of fickle

dependable, dutiful, reliable, responsible, solid, tried, tried-and-true, trustable, trustworthy, trusty

unfaltering, unhesitating, unwavering

determined, intent, resolute

confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool, inveterate, sworn

ardent, avid, enthusiastic, fervent, fervid, impassioned, passionate
Antonyms of fickle

constant, dedicated, devoted, devout, down-the-line, faithful, fast, loyal, staunch (also stanch), steadfast, steady, true

Synonym Discussion of fickle

inconstant, fickle, capricious, mercurial, unstable mean lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion). inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change.
    • an inconstant friend
fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness.
    • performers discover how fickle fans can be
capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.
    • an utterly capricious critic
mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood.
    • made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament
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

Learn More about fickle

  1. See words that rhyme with fickle Dictionary: Definition of fickle Spanish Central: Translation of fickle Nglish: Translation of fickle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fickle for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up fickle? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

magniloquent

Listen to the pronounciation of magniloquent

grandiloquent, ostentatious, or bombastic

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. exonerate Barr summarizes Mueller report

  2. catamount Vermont enters the Round of 64

  3. mendacious, mendacity George Conway calls Trump a liar

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games