1
2

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

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 inconstant 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 Energy experts have been warning that electricity is likely to get more expensive and less reliable unless renewable power that waxes and wanes under inconstant sunlight and wind is backed up by generators that can run whenever needed. IEEE Spectrum, 9 May 2024 In March, Johnson ordered the first national lockdown, caught COVID, and later spent three nights in the I.C.U. For months, the country staggered from one set of restrictions to the next—a reflection of Johnson’s inconstant attitude toward the virus. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Song as a different kind of time, as heroin became her own inconstant clock. Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 See All Example Sentences for inconstant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inconstant
Adjective
  • Create Short-term and Long-term Business Plans When getting your business off the ground, the beginning is often the most volatile time.
    Rhett Buttle, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • Traditionally, buyers use their personal bank accounts to buy a stablecoin, and then use the stablecoin to trade for some other kind of more volatile crypto, such as Bitcoin or something else.
    Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 18 July 2025
Adjective
  • There's a delicious whodunit aspect to it, too, as the list of five potentially traitorous suspects includes the operative's own high-profile wife (Cate Blanchett).
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 July 2025
  • Michael Fassbender plays a British intelligence officer tasked with finding who leaked a top-secret software program and betrayed their country, and the list of five potentially traitorous suspects includes his own high-profile wife (Cate Blanchett).
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 May 2025
Adjective
  • Unlike cheaper rebounders that can feel stiff or unpredictable, this one stays sturdy and responsive.
    Jordan Galloway, SELF, 15 July 2025
  • These days, the politics of nuclear arms have become more complicated and unpredictable.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • Implied in his statement was that the U.S. has become unreliable because of Trump’s haphazard tariff regime, which has gone through aggressive threats and reversals.
    Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
  • Despite the resumptions in service, officials in each area warned residents and business owners that service could be spotty and unreliable in the coming days, and no one ventured to guess when trash service would be restored to normal.
    Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 16 July 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • He’s hosted several world leaders for explosive Oval Office sit downs, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who Trump argued with over false claims that white farmers in the country were victims of a genocide, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February.
    Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • Mayumi pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of false reporting to authorities, while Richard did the same for a felony count of trying to influence a public servant, according to NPR.
    Jessica Sager, People.com, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • And the economy, right now, feels unstable to many, as grocery prices rise and the job market goes on a diet.
    Sophie Levenson, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2025
  • According to a report released in April, 72% of clients of reentry welcome centers across the state between June 2023 and May 2024 reported having unstable housing situations.
    Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2025
Adjective
  • In addition to some light-hearted banter between Thia and Dek, the trailer also gives viewers a look at the treacherous journey ahead of them.
    Caroline Blair, People.com, 23 July 2025
  • Airplanes can be treacherous for people who use wheelchairs.
    Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 17 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inconstant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inconstant. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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