Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective mercurial differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mercurial are capricious, fickle, inconstant, and unstable. While all these words mean "lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion)," mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood.

made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament

When could capricious be used to replace mercurial?

The words capricious and mercurial can be used in similar contexts, but capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.

an utterly capricious critic

When is fickle a more appropriate choice than mercurial?

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

performers discover how fickle fans can be

When is it sensible to use inconstant instead of mercurial?

The synonyms inconstant and mercurial are sometimes interchangeable, but inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change.

an inconstant friend

When would unstable be a good substitute for mercurial?

Although the words unstable and mercurial have much in common, 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 mercurial The film follows Mark and Dawn through horrifically fraught times, as Mark battles an opioid addiction and Dawn struggles to support her mercurial man through personal and professional upheavals. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2025 With finesse and grandeur, director Rob Reiner has managed to distill Princess‘ wondrously mercurial spirit to a panoramic scape. Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025 The movie follows a mercurial woman (Blanchett) with a strange and piercing gift – the ability to see what others most intimately need, often at great personal cost – who sets out on a journey home. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025 Thanks to the tethering process, his memories of the last year have been wiped, leaving only a man known as Red, a ruthless shadow and former contract killer for a cruel, mercurial billionaire. Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mercurial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercurial
Adjective
  • Hundreds of people were killed in days of violence that shattered Kenya’s status as a stable democracy in a volatile region.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
  • The film tracks their volatile relationship amid Kerr’s professional highs and lows in MMA, including his substance abuse struggles.
    Zack Sharf, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But Amorim, who is approaching 12 months in charge of the club, acknowledges that football is an unpredictable industry and results will influence the mood among United’s hierarchy.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The United States maintains overwhelming technological superiority but with increasingly unpredictable commitments.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mercurial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercurial. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on mercurial

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