Volatile - English meaning

adjective

Having an electric charge.

Usage examples:

Because the electron was negatively charged and atoms are electrically neutral, there must be a pos…

verb

Demand (an amount) as a price for a service rendered or goods supplied.

Usage examples:

Wedding planners may charge an hourly fee of up to £150

adjective

If an event is charged, people at it are behaving excitedly

Usage examples:

The meeting was emotionally charged.

adjective

Dishonest or unreliable.

Usage examples:

A dodgy second-hand car salesman

adjective

Relating to or formed by volcanic activity.

Usage examples:

A history of the eruptive activity in an area

adjective

Relating to or involving evaporation.

Usage examples:

Evaporative water loss

adjective

Able or likely to shatter violently or burst apart.

Usage examples:

An explosive device

noun

A substance which can be made to explode, especially any of those used in bombs or shells.

Usage examples:

Stocks of explosives

adjective

Exploding or able to explode easily

Usage examples:

An explosive device, certain gases are highly explosive., fig. it was a politically explosive issue…

adjective

(of a situation or course of action) filled with or likely to result in (something undesirable).

Usage examples:

Marketing any new product is fraught with danger

adjective

Full of (unpleasant things such as problems or dangers)

Usage examples:

Writing about science at a popular level is a task fraught with difficulty.

adjective

Covered with hair.

Usage examples:

A hairy chest

adjective

Easily set on fire.

Usage examples:

Inflammable materials

noun

A substance which is easily set on fire.

Usage examples:

‘as a garage, we have particular concerns such as vehicle collision, sparks igniting inflammables s…

adjective

Flammable

adjective

Relating to or causing inflammation of a part of the body.

Usage examples:

Inflammatory cells

adjective

Likely to excite strong feelings, esp. of anger

Usage examples:

He thought his opponent’s remarks were unfair and inflammatory.

adjective

Liable to change; easily altered.

Usage examples:

Persons whose blood pressure is more labile will carry an enhanced risk of heart attack

adjective

Changing often or easily

Usage examples:

Emotionally labile characters, a labile pulse, labile proteins

adjective

A nail-biting situation is very exciting or worrying because you do not know how it will end

Usage examples:

Germany won the championship after a nail-biting final.

adjective

Showing signs of nervous tension or tiredness.

Usage examples:

Jean's pale, strained face

verb

Force (a part of one's body or oneself) to make an unusually great effort.

Usage examples:

I stopped and listened, straining my ears for any sound

adjective

Nervous, worried, or having problems

Usage examples:

She had a strained expression on her face., a strained knee

adjective

(especially of a muscle) stretched tight or rigid.

Usage examples:

She tried to relax her tense muscles

verb

Become tense, typically through anxiety or nervousness.

Usage examples:

Her body tensed up

noun

A set of forms taken by a verb to indicate the time (and sometimes also the continuance or completeness) of the action in relation to the time of the utterance.

Usage examples:

The future tense

adjective

Characterized by conflict, disorder, or confusion; not stable or calm.

Usage examples:

The country's turbulent history

adjective

Full of confusion; lacking order

Usage examples:

His book discusses the turbulent years of the civil rights struggle., turbulent seas kept us from s…

adjective

Experiencing many problems, disagreements, or changes

Usage examples:

A turbulent time/period/year the publishing world is going through a turbulent time at the moment.,…

adjective

Causing or feeling slight pain or physical discomfort.

Usage examples:

His hard, uncomfortable bed

adjective

Not comfortable or relaxed, or feeling anxiety

Usage examples:

An uncomfortable chair, she feels uncomfortable in a room full of strangers., an uncomfortably warm…

adjective

Causing or feeling anxiety; troubled or uncomfortable.

Usage examples:

She felt guilty now and a little uneasy

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

Of the nature of, characterized by, or filled with vapour.

Usage examples:

The vaporous atmosphere

adjective

Consisting of or filled with vapour (= gas or extremely small drops of liquid that result from the heating of a liquid or solid)

Usage examples:

Condensation is the passage of a substance from the vaporous to the liquid state., every six months…

adjective

A white-knuckle experience or activity makes you feel very frightened and often excited

Usage examples:

A white-knuckle ride in a theme park