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mercurial

mer·cu·ri·al
M m

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [mer-kyoo r-ee-uh l]
    • /mərˈkyʊər i əl/
    • /mɜːˈkjʊə.ri.əl/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [mer-kyoo r-ee-uh l]
    • /mərˈkyʊər i əl/

Definitions of mercurial word

  • adjective mercurial changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial nature. 1
  • adjective mercurial animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted. 1
  • adjective mercurial pertaining to, containing, or caused by the metal mercury. 1
  • adjective mercurial (initial capital letter) of or relating to the god Mercury. 1
  • adjective mercurial (initial capital letter) of or relating to the planet Mercury. 1
  • noun mercurial Pharmacology. a preparation of mercury used as a drug. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of mercurial

First appearance:

before 1350
One of the 20% oldest English words
1350-1400; Middle English < Latin mercuriālis of, pertaining to the god or planet Mercury. See mercury, -al1

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Mercurial

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

mercurial popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 66% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

mercurial usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for mercurial

adj mercurial

  • impulsive — actuated or swayed by emotional or involuntary impulses: an impulsive child.
  • unpredictable — not predictable; not to be foreseen or foretold: an unpredictable occurrence.
  • volatile — evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor: Acetone is a volatile solvent.
  • effervescent — effervescing; bubbling.
  • changeable — Someone or something that is changeable is likely to change many times.

adjective mercurial

  • active — Someone who is active moves around a lot or does a lot of things.
  • witty — possessing wit in speech or writing; amusingly clever in perception and expression: a witty writer.
  • brilliant — A brilliant person, idea, or performance is extremely clever or skilful.
  • flighty — given to flights of fancy; capricious; frivolous.
  • temperamental — having or exhibiting a strongly marked, individual temperament.

Antonyms for mercurial

adj mercurial

  • predictable — able to be foretold or declared in advance: New technology allows predictable weather forecasting.
  • unchanging — to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone: to change one's name; to change one's opinion; to change the course of history.
  • stable — a building for the lodging and feeding of horses, cattle, etc.
  • reliable — that may be relied on or trusted; dependable in achievement, accuracy, honesty, etc.: reliable information.
  • tranquil — free from commotion or tumult; peaceful; quiet; calm: a tranquil country place.

adjective mercurial

  • consistent — Someone who is consistent always behaves in the same way, has the same attitudes towards people or things, or achieves the same level of success in something.

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See also

Matching words

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