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 Earnings from social media can be volatile but women’s football is not renowned, either, for job security. — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 But Seng said there are other factors this year even beyond the volatile situation in the Middle East that make future prices unpredictable. — Jeffrey Collins, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026 Udas, the lawmaker, said Nepal requires stronger disaster warning systems and infrastructure built for increasingly volatile conditions. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026 That meant trade reporting on the tape often ran late, sometimes hours late during a volatile market or big sell-off. — Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 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
  • After all, that was the group that revolutionized last year’s offense from strong but static to unpredictable and setting a league-wide trend with 13 personnel and dominated on play-action and in the run game with defenses consistently compromised.
    — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Still, markets are nervous, and experts have described the Houthis as highly unpredictable.
    — Fatma Khaled, Los Angeles Times, 11 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
  • Pacific Northwest - Severe snow drought across the Cascades, followed by heat, dryness, and wildfire concerns, is expected to produce a more variable and abbreviated season.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The theory was that by increasing the number of players in the game, there would be more variable squad selections and outcomes.
    — Theo Lloyd-Hughes, New York Times, 4 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
  • The night before that game, over dinner with Umaga, Nonu had been uncertain over whether to do it, not wanting the occasion to be about him.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • When that doesn’t work, Vicki yanks off her mic and retreats to her bedroom, leaving the others uncertain of what to do next.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncertain

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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 13 Sep. 2026.

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