mercurial

[ mer-kyoor-ee-uhl ]

adjective

1. changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic:

   a mercurial nature.

   Synonyms: indecisive, inconstant

   Antonyms: steady, constant

2. animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted.

   Synonyms: spirited

   Antonyms: phlegmatic

3. pertaining to, containing, or caused by the metal mercury.
4. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the god Mercury.
5. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the planet Mercury.

noun

1. Pharmacology. a preparation of mercury used as a drug.

mercurial

/ mɜːˈkjʊərɪəl /

adjective

1. of, like, containing, or relating to mercury
2. volatile; lively

   a mercurial temperament

3. sometimes capital of, like, or relating to the god or the planet Mercury

noun

1. med any salt of mercury for use as a medicine

Derived Forms

• merˈcurialness, noun
• merˈcurially, adverb

Other Words From

• mer·curi·al·ly adverb
• mer·curi·al·ness mer·curi·ali·ty noun
• unmer·curi·al adjective
• unmer·curi·al·ly adverb
• unmer·curi·al·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mercurial¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin mercuriālis “of or pertaining to the god or planet Mercury”; mercury, -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of mercurial¹

C14: from Latin mercuriālis

Example Sentences

To be clear, the Nets face their own questions, most of which trace back to Durant’s decision to partner with the mercurial Irving.

From Washington Post

Jason Roe, Gaspar’s mercurial consultant, moved as did Sage Naumann, a former staffer for the party.

From Voice of San Diego

While she’s proven her loyalty to Orbán, Hungary’s mercurial leader is known for reshuffling and throwing out politicians at his convenience.

From Ozy

An astounding three-out-of-four of America’s big cap stalwarts—that typically pride themselves on tracing the path ahead—deemed the future so mercurial that they gave up.

From Fortune

Stars, heat and humidity, and the temperament of mercurial elders in one’s family have to align to set the wedding date in India.

From Quartz

Since the recession, a mercurial job market has made it difficult for many vets to find steady employment.

From The Daily Beast

I think that Michael would hate to be falsely remembered as perfect in retrospect—he was mercurial, impulsive, and intense.

From The Daily Beast

They are superstitious, violent, passionate, mercurial, and secretive, with a greater belief in dragons than in any saint.

From The Daily Beast

But Chechnya has become a republic of fear, the fiefdom of one man: its mercurial 36-year-old president, Ramzan Kadyrov.

From The Daily Beast

But I press on, because my mercurial editor is emailing me, “When are you filing that bitcoin story!??”

From The Daily Beast

Quentin Gray's mercurial color deserted him, and he turned to Seton a face grown suddenly pale.

From Project Gutenberg

The usual excited happiness was less obvious, he thought, than usual, the mercurial gaiety wholly absent.

From Project Gutenberg

The extreme heat was rather more intense than that of the preceding day, the mercurial column standing for a time at 97 degrees.

From Project Gutenberg

Of the influence formerly attributed to the planets, traces survive in such epithets as mercurial, jovial, saturnine.

From Project Gutenberg

Of the many forms of mercurial barometer, that perhaps known as Fortins is the best.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• changeable
• effervescent
• erratic
• impulsive
• resilient
• unpredictable
• volatile