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.