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volatile

adjective

ˈvä-lə-tᵊl How to pronounce volatile (audio)
Definition of volatilenext
as in unpredictable
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly a boss of volatile moods is frustrating to work for

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 volatile As former Vikings defensive lineman Harrison Phillips put it several years ago, playing Johnson is like navigating a volatile stock market. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 That figure jumped after Friday's inflation report showed that prices remain stubbornly high and core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy, picked up in August from the previous month. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026 Countries watching the current moment might conclude that executive agility and the willingness to weaponize economic relationships are the currencies of power in a volatile world. — Jonas Nahm, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026 Core personal consumption expenditures, which exclude the volatile costs of food and energy, have continued to rise. — Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for volatile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for volatile
  1. unpredictable
  2. unstable
  3. variable
  4. inconsistent
  5. changeful
  6. unsettled
  7. uncertain
Adjective
  • Later, an opposition to unpredictable Uranus reminds us to balance bold leaps with steady signals, so plans, messages, and travel stay flexible, safe, and kind.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026
  • There were real concerns like unpredictable latency and audit trails that legal would never approve.
    — Rafael Flores, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of unpredictable
Adjective
  • Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who accompanied the national police chief in serving the warrant to Romualdez, said he was admitted to a Manila hospital Monday afternoon due to unstable blood pressure and anxiety attack.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
  • As Anna covers for Fyodor’s addiction and increasingly unstable professional behavior, her devotion starts to look poisonous for them both.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of unstable
Adjective
  • Most credit cards have variable interest rates that track the prime rate banks charge their best customers.
    — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Private student loans tend to have a variable rate tied to the Libor, prime or Treasury bill rates — and that means that, as the Fed rate rises, those borrowers will also pay more in interest.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of variable
Adjective
  • The defense attorney argued that theory was inconsistent with the evidence, pointing to Apple Maps searches prosecutors highlighted during the trial.
    — Lorraine Taylor , Bryan Llenas, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • If every new scenario causes delays, requires manual recalculation or produces inconsistent results, AI cannot support continuous planning at enterprise scale.
    — Stephen Macfarlane, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of inconsistent
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
Definition of changeful
Adjective
  • The greatest threat of unsettled weather is expected Saturday, NWS forecaster Justin Lane said.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The unsettled partisan lines around this issue have allowed anger, rooted in decades of deindustrialization and public austerity, to flourish in the electorate.
    — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsettled
Adjective
  • That separation helps explain how uncertain the market remains — even to veteran coaches.
    — Manny Navarro, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • But take the owner out of the equation, and the loyal customers stop coming, while the accounts become uncertain overnight.
    — Jason Sisneros, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncertain

Browse Nearby Words

voids
volatile
volatileness
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Cite this Entry

“Volatile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/volatile. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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