Mercurial
Describing a person whose mood or opinions shift quickly and unpredictably.
adjectiveMercurial
Describing a person whose mood or opinions shift quickly and unpredictably.
adjectiveImagine This
Picture a coworker who shifts from sunny to irritable to exuberant all within minutes, as if guided by Mercury's rapid mood changes.
Sounds Like
mer-KYOOR-ee-uhl
Looks Like
Mercury (the swift Roman god and the planet) to suggest speed and change
Remember This
Origin: from Latin mercuriΔlis 'of Mercury' β Mercury the swift messenger god; the sense captures speed, adaptability, and changeability.
Other Forms
Connect With
volatile, capricious, fickle, erratic, temperamental
Note
Common pitfall: mercurial describes mood or behavior that changes unpredictably, not necessarily intelligence or skill. Also distinguish from references to the metal mercury; the word here denotes changeability, not the substance itself.
Study Deeper
- Her mercurial temperament made it hard to predict how she would react to criticism.
- The CEO's mercurial decisions left employees unsure of which plan would be adopted tomorrow.
From Latin mercuriΔlis 'of Mercury,' from Mercury, the swift Roman messenger god; the sense conveys speed, changeability, and adaptability.
Mercury-like mood changes: think of a quicksilver messenger who can turn on a dime.
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adjectiveLacking the necessary quality, quantity, or ability to meet a purpose; not sufficient or suitable.
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noun and verbNoun: refined skill, tact, or diplomacy in handling a situation; Verb: to handle or achieve something with such skill or by clever, delicate maneuvering.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Capricious
adjectiveUnpredictable; given to sudden, unaccountable changes in mood or behavior.
Fickle
adjectiveOften changing; unstable or inconsistent in behavior, opinions, or loyalties.
Erratic
adjectiveNot regular or predictable; characterized by inconsistency or uncertainty.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.