CAPRICIOUS: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for CAPRICIOUS?

Need another word that means the same as “capricious”? Find 33 synonyms and 30 related words for “capricious” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Capricious” are: impulsive, whimsical, freakish, fickle, inconstant, changeable, variable, unstable, mercurial, volatile, erratic, vacillating, irregular, inconsistent, fitful, arbitrary, unpredictable, uncertain, turbulent, unsteady, unsettled, unreliable, undependable, changing, ever-changing, varying, shifting, fluctuating, fluid, mutable, protean, wavering, full of ups and downs

Capricious as an Adjective

Definitions of "Capricious" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “capricious” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Changeable.
• Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behaviour.
• Changing according to no discernible rules; unpredictable.
• Determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason.

Synonyms of "Capricious" as an adjective (33 Words)

arbitrary	Based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system. The arbitrary rule of a dictator.
changeable	Able to be changed or exchanged. A changeable climate.
changing	Marked by continuous change or effective action.
erratic	Liable to sudden unpredictable change. Erratic winds are the bane of a sailor.
ever-changing	Marked by continuous change or effective action.
fickle	Marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments. Fickle friends.
fitful	Active or occurring spasmodically or intermittently; not regular or steady. Fitful bursts of energy.
fluctuating	Rising and falling irregularly in number or amount. A fluctuating level of demand.
fluid	Characteristic of a fluid capable of flowing and easily changing shape. Britain is not a truly fluid society.
freakish	Characteristic of a freak. A freakish combination of styles.
full of ups and downs	Filled to satisfaction with food or drink.
impulsive	Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation. An impulsive force.
inconsistent	Not compatible or in keeping with. Inconsistent statements cannot both be true at the same time.
inconstant	Frequently changing; variable or irregular. Swear not by the inconstant moon.
irregular	Not even or balanced in shape or arrangement. Highly irregular behavior.
mercurial	Of or containing the element mercury. His mercurial temperament.
mutable	Tending to undergo genetic mutuation. The fickle and mutable nature of truth.
protean	Taking on different forms. It is difficult to comprehend the whole of this protean subject.
shifting	Unstable. Diverse districts with shifting demographics.
turbulent	(of a liquid) agitated vigorously; in a state of turbulence. A turbulent and unruly childhood.
uncertain	Lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance. She spoke in no uncertain terms.
undependable	Not worthy of reliance or trust. An undependable assistant.
unpredictable	Not able to be predicted; changeable. The unpredictable weather of the Scottish islands.
unreliable	Lacking a sense of responsibility. In the early 1950s computers were large and expensive and unreliable.
unsettled	Worried and uneasy. Unsettled weather with rain and hail and sunshine coming one right after the other.
unstable	Subject to change; variable. An unstable world economy.
unsteady	Liable to fall or shake; not steady in position. He was very unsteady on his feet.
vacillating	Uncertain in purpose or action. He was accused of vacillating leadership.
variable	(of a wind) tending to change direction. The quality of hospital food is highly variable.
varying	Differing in size, amount, degree, or nature. The varying angles of roof slope.
volatile	(of a substance) easily evaporated at normal temperatures. Volatile emotions.
wavering	Undecided between two opinions or courses of action. The move brought back wavering voters.
whimsical	Playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way. A whimsical sense of humour.

Usage Examples of "Capricious" as an adjective

• A capricious climate.
• Authoritarian rulers are frequently capricious.
• A capricious refusal.
• A capricious summer breeze.
• A capricious and often brutal administration.

Associations of "Capricious" (30 Words)

anomalous	Deviating from the general or common order or type. Advanced forms of life may be anomalous in the universe.
arbitrary	Based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice. An arbitrary choice.
arrhythmic	Lacking a steady rhythm. An arrhythmic heartbeat.
changeable	Subject to change. Cover the tables with changeable cloths.
defuse	Remove the triggering device from. A scheme that teaches officers how to defuse potentially explosive situations.
erratic	Liable to sudden unpredictable change. Her breathing was erratic.
fickle	Liable to sudden unpredictable change. Fickle weather.
impulse	A change of momentum produced by an impulse equivalent to the average value of the force multiplied by the time during which it acts. He was a man of impulse not premeditation.
impulsive	Without forethought. The approaching waves contain an impulsive component.
inconstant	Likely to change frequently often without apparent or cogent reason; variable. The exact dimensions aren t easily measured since they are inconstant.
insecure	(of a job or situation) liable to change for the worse; not permanent or settled. Badly paid and insecure jobs.
irregular	A member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment. She led a somewhat irregular private life.
mercurial	Of or containing the element mercury. For twenty years organic mercurials were the most potent diuretics in clinical use.
precarious	Not secure; beset with difficulties. He made a precarious living as a painter.
quicksilver	A heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures. His quicksilver wit.
random	Made, done, or happening without method or conscious decision. Apparently random violence.
shaky	Unstable because of poor construction or heavy use. After a shaky start the Scottish team made superb efforts.
shifting	Continuously varying. Shifting sands.
uncertain	Lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance. An uncertain future.
uncertainty	Being unsettled or in doubt or dependent on chance. Times of uncertainty and danger.
unfaithful	Not faithful. You haven t been unfaithful to him have you.
unpredictable	Not occurring at expected times. The unpredictable weather of the Scottish islands.
unreliable	Not able to be relied upon. Unreliable information.
unsettled	Worried and uneasy. One question remains unsettled.
unstable	Prone to psychiatric problems or sudden changes of mood. He was mentally unstable.
unsteady	Liable to fall or shake; not steady in position. An unsteady voice.
vagary	An unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone’s behaviour. The vagaries of the weather.
variable	A symbol like x or y that is used in mathematical or logical expressions to represent a variable quantity. Variable winds.
volatile	A volatile substance a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor. A flirt s volatile affections.
whim	A sudden desire or change of mind, especially one that is unusual or unexplained. He had a whimsy about flying to the moon.