mercurial
[mer-kyoo r-ee-uh l]
- changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial nature.
- animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted.
- pertaining to, containing, or caused by the metal mercury.
- (initial capital letter) of or relating to the god Mercury.
- (initial capital letter) of or relating to the planet Mercury.
Show More
- Pharmacology. a preparation of mercury used as a drug.
Show More
Origin of mercurial
Synonyms
See more synonyms for mercurial on Thesaurus.com1. inconstant, indecisive. 2. spirited.
Antonyms
1. constant, steady. 2. phlegmatic.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for mercurial
Contemporary Examples
Since the recession, a mercurial job market has made it difficult for many vets to find steady employment.
I think that Michael would hate to be falsely remembered as perfect in retrospect—he was mercurial, impulsive, and intense.
They are superstitious, violent, passionate, mercurial, and secretive, with a greater belief in dragons than in any saint.
But Chechnya has become a republic of fear, the fiefdom of one man: its mercurial 36-year-old president, Ramzan Kadyrov.
But I press on, because my mercurial editor is emailing me, “When are you filing that bitcoin story!??”
Historical Examples
Of a fiery, mercurial disposition, his temper flew in a moment.
War from the InsideFrederick L. (Frederick Lyman) Hitchcock
He is of that deep, mercurial disposition that attracts women.
The Spoilers of the ValleyRobert Watson
The champagne was bubbling trickily in the veins of the mercurial statesmen.
Cabbages and KingsO. Henry
Vidi, measures approximately, but not with the permanence of the mercurial.
The Sailor's Word-BookWilliam Henry Smyth
He took iodide of potassium for a time after his mercurial course.
The Electric BathGeorge M. Schweig
mercurial
- of, like, containing, or relating to mercury
- volatile; livelya mercurial temperament
- (sometimes capital) of, like, or relating to the god or the planet Mercury
Show More
- med any salt of mercury for use as a medicine
Show More
Word Origin
C14: from Latin mercuriālis
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for mercurial
adj.
late 14c., "pertaining to the planet Mercury" (see Mercury). Meaning "sprightly, volatile, quick" (1590s) is from supposed qualities of those born under the planet Mercury (they also are the qualities of the god Mercury), probably also partly by association with the qualities of quicksilver. A variant in this sense was mercurious (1590s). Related: Mercurially; mercuriality.
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
mercurial
(mər-kyur′ē-əl)- Containing or caused by the action of the element mercury.
Show More
- A pharmacological or chemical preparation containing mercury.
Show More
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.