fickle

adjective

ˈfi-kəl How to pronounce fickle (audio)
Definition of ficklenext
1
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly a fickle friendship that was on and off over the years

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in traitorous
not true in one's allegiance to someone or something when the family's fortune disappeared, so did their fickle friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective fickle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of fickle are capricious, inconstant, mercurial, and unstable. While all these words mean "lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion)," fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness.

performers discover how fickle fans can be

In what contexts can capricious take the place of fickle?

In some situations, the words capricious and fickle are roughly equivalent. However, capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.

an utterly capricious critic

When could inconstant be used to replace fickle?

The meanings of inconstant and fickle largely overlap; however, inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change.

an inconstant friend

When is mercurial a more appropriate choice than fickle?

While the synonyms mercurial and fickle are close in meaning, mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood.

made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament

When might unstable be a better fit than fickle?

The synonyms unstable and fickle are sometimes interchangeable, but unstable implies an incapacity for remaining in a fixed position or steady course and applies especially to a lack of emotional balance.

too unstable to hold a job

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fickle Combs knows all too well how fickle the general public can be, and how swiftly sympathy can ping-pong from one side to the other. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026 Relievers are notoriously fickle, but the investment in Miller has yielded ongoing dominance. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Someone who reminds a likely very jaded and fickle crowd of editors, buyers, and industry observers that fashion can still be thoughtful, genuine, and most importantly, fun. — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026 To stay on top of notoriously fickle teen shopping habits, Santaella said the key is to be constantly out in the market, spending time in stores and with brand partners across the globe, to best understand the consumer and the industry. — Jennie Bell, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fickle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fickle
  1. volatile
  2. traitorous
  3. unpredictable
  4. unreliable
  5. treacherous
  6. false
  7. inconstant
Adjective
  • Together, the tools could help accelerate the development of more resilient electric motor systems while reducing the risks associated with critical material shortages, volatile supply chains and rapidly changing global markets.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Daily crude flows are very volatile, with only 3 million barrels of crude transiting Hormuz on Monday while 6 million barrels passed through the strait on Friday, according to Kpler.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of volatile
Adjective
  • Telemachus’ lone contribution is killing Melanthius, the traitorous Ithacan farmhand, thus preventing him from continuing to arm the suitors.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • And at the very center of Hell is Satan himself, the traitorous Archangel Lucifer, depicted as a monstrous creature with wings and three heads.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 May 2026
Definition of traitorous
Adjective
  • Jeff Shields, a spokesperson for PJM, said electricity demand is growing faster than new generating capacity can come online, while unpredictable weather is leaving fewer opportunities for critical maintenance and construction.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Loos, who was thirty-one, was known to express displeasure in hot and angry bursts and could be unpredictable.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of unpredictable
Adjective
  • Even so, officials recommend residents consider backup ways to communicate in case cell service is unreliable.
    — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • State officials say the federal data are unreliable and the demand comes too close to the election.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of unreliable
Adjective
  • That will, ultimately, get us through even this treacherous moment.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But the terrain is treacherous with muddy roads and slippery rocks.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of treacherous
Adjective
  • Screening mammograms miss about one in eight breast cancers overall, and people with dense breasts are more likely to get false-negative results, the American Cancer Society reports.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Overall, screening mammograms miss about one in eight breast cancers, and people with dense breasts are more likely to get false-negative results.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of false
Adjective
  • But there’s another inconstant element on Flagler that neither the city nor its agencies have any control over.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Each one grew up in a home that required her to curry favor with volatile and inconstant parents—a menacing father figure, a recessive and enabling mother—and each found a fragile safety in her caretakers’ occasional good will.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of inconstant

Browse Nearby Words

fibs
fickle
fickleness
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Cite this Entry

“Fickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fickle. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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