The meaning of Mercurial

adjective

Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behaviour.

Usage examples:

It's terrible to feel our livelihood hinges on a capricious boss

adjective

Likely to change, or reacting to a sudden desire or new idea

Usage examples:

We have had very capricious weather lately.

adjective

Liable to unpredictable variation.

Usage examples:

The weather will be changeable with rain at times

adjective

Changing often

Usage examples:

The weather is very changeable this time of year.

adjective

Not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable.

Usage examples:

Her breathing was erratic

noun

A rock or boulder that differs from the surrounding rock and is believed to have been brought from a distance by glacial action.

Usage examples:

The source of stone for the whetstones may have been glacial erratics

adjective

Changing suddenly and unexpectedly

Usage examples:

An erratic schedule

adjective

Responding too readily to something new or stimulating; easily excited.

Usage examples:

A rather excitable young man

adjective

(of a person or an animal) tending to react quickly and strongly to things

Usage examples:

The dog is excitable, so don’t come too close.

adjective

Changing frequently, especially as regards one's loyalties or affections.

Usage examples:

Celebs trying to appeal to an increasingly fickle public

adjective

Likely to change your opinion or your feelings suddenly and without a good reason

Usage examples:

He criticized the fickle behavior of football fans who cheer you one week and boo you the next., fi…

adjective

Likely to change suddenly and without warning

Usage examples:

Do americans know how to invest in fickle markets?, the art market is as fickle and hard to predict…

adjective

Rising and falling irregularly in number or amount.

Usage examples:

A fluctuating level of demand

verb

Rise and fall irregularly in number or amount.

Usage examples:

Trade with other countries tends to fluctuate from year to year

adjective

Fluctuating prices, levels, or interest rates go up and down

Usage examples:

Flexible mortgages are suitable for borrowers with reliable but fluctuating income., using temporar…

adjective

Not staying the same throughout.

Usage examples:

The quality of the material was often inconsistent

adjective

Frequently changing; variable or irregular.

Usage examples:

The exact dimensions aren't easily measured since they are inconstant

adjective

Not staying the same, especially in emotion, behaviour, or choice of sexual partner

Usage examples:

An inconstant lover

noun

(in ancient egypt) the supposed spiritual part of an individual human being or god, which survived (with the soul) after death and could reside in a statue of the person.

Usage examples:

It was made to provide a dwelling place for the ka of the king after his death

abbreviation

Karnataka.

adjective

Liable to change.

Usage examples:

The mutable nature of fashion

adjective

Able or likely to change

Usage examples:

The mutable nature of love, language is not static, it is mutable.

adjective

Tending or able to change frequently or easily.

Usage examples:

It is difficult to comprehend the whole of this protean subject

noun

The liquid metal mercury.

Usage examples:

Mercury has long been known also by the name quicksilver, because it is a silver liquid.

noun

→  mercury

adjective

(of a person) liable to unreasonable changes of mood.

Usage examples:

A temperamental film star

adjective

Expressive of your emotional character

Usage examples:

A temperamental young man, our vcr can be temperamental.

adjective

Not able to be predicted; changeable.

Usage examples:

The unpredictable weather of the scottish islands

adjective

Tending to change suddenly and without reason or warning, and therefore not able to be depended on

Usage examples:

Unpredictable weather, the world is pretty unpredictable.

adjective

If something is unpredictable, it is likely to change suddenly and unexpectedly, so cannot be planned for

Usage examples:

To protect it from the unpredictable nature of software sales, the company has adopted a new busine…

adjective

Likely to give way; not stable.

Usage examples:

The unstable cliff tops

adjective

Not firm and therefore not strong, safe, or likely to last

Usage examples:

It is a poor and politically unstable country., he’s emotionally unstable – you never know how he’l…

adjective

Liable to fall or shake; not steady in position.

Usage examples:

He was very unsteady on his feet

adjective

Moving or changing, or not firm

Usage examples:

She’s been sick, and she’s still a bit unsteady on her feet.

adjective

Not consistent or having a fixed pattern; liable to change.

Usage examples:

The quality of hospital food is highly variable

noun

An element, feature, or factor that is liable to vary or change.

Usage examples:

There are too many variables involved to make any meaningful predictions

adjective

Likely to change, or showing change or difference as a characteristic

Usage examples:

Our weather is very variable in the spring., there is a lot of variability between brands., among t…

adjective

(of a substance) easily evaporated at normal temperatures.

Usage examples:

Volatile solvents such as petroleum ether, hexane, and benzene

noun

A volatile substance.

Usage examples:

Methyl acetate had the highest mean peak height of the selected volatiles, followed by acetic acid …

adjective

Likely to change suddenly and unexpectedly, or suddenly violent or angry

Usage examples:

It was a volatile situation, and the police handled it well., the stock market was highly volatile …