Synonyms of inconstant

inconstant

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈkän(t)-stənt 

1

as in volatile

likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly

our windjammer sailed wherever the inconstant winds took us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

2

as in traitorous

not true in one's allegiance to someone or something

an inconstant but always entertaining friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

• traitorous
• unreliable
• false
• treacherous
• fickle
• unfaithful
• faithless
• disloyal
• perfidious
• untrue
• undependable
• recreant
• untrustworthy
• uncertain
• irresponsible
• hesitant
• irresolute
• faltering
• dubious
• vacillating
• wavering
• uninterested
• apathetic
• dispassionate
• trustless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• constant
• steady
• loyal
• faithful
• true
• steadfast
• reliable
• fast
• dependable
• responsible
• devout
• staunch
• solid
• devoted
• trustworthy
• dutiful
• dedicated
• down-the-line
• trusty
• resolute
• unfaltering
• tried
• unhesitating
• determined
• intent
• trustable
• inveterate
• unwavering
• enthusiastic
• confirmed
• ardent
• passionate
• tried-and-true
• fervent
• fervid
• impassioned
• avid
• sworn
• dyed-in-the-wool

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective inconstant differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of inconstant are capricious, fickle, mercurial, and unstable. While all these words 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

When could capricious be used to replace inconstant?

The meanings of capricious and inconstant largely overlap; however, capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.

an utterly capricious critic

Where would fickle be a reasonable alternative to inconstant?

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

performers discover how fickle fans can be

When can mercurial be used instead of inconstant?

While the synonyms mercurial and inconstant are close in meaning, mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood.

made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament

When would unstable be a good substitute for inconstant?

The words unstable and inconstant can be used in similar contexts, but 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

Recent Examples of inconstant

The self is a shifting, inconstant phenomenon, brain and body ever transforming in time and space, with no clear delineation between what is self and what is other. —Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025

If the United States is an unreliable partner and a source of chaos these countries will turn elsewhere, building new security and trade alliances that don’t depend on the inconstant, waning superpower. —Lydia Polgreen, Mercury News, 27 May 2025

Much like a patient who fails to finish a course of antibiotics, inconstant policies may incur all the costs and none of the benefits. —David Carlin, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

The key finding is that as the distance grows greater, the coupling stops growing, and the inconstant constant becomes constant once more. —Stanley J. Brodsky, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024