capricious

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /kəˈprɪʃəs/ UK /kəˈprɪʃəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
given to sudden, unpredictable changes of mood or behavior

The capricious weather ruined their picnic plans.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · given to sudden,... fickle whimsical unpredictable erratic mercurial volatile impulsive

Opposites

steady constant consistent steadfast reliable

Word family

Derived forms capriciouslycapriciousness

Related forms caprice

Etymology

From French capricieux, from Italian capriccioso, from capriccio ('whim'); see caprice.

capriccio Italian caput Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# capricious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /kəˈprɪʃəs/
**IPA (UK):** /kəˈprɪʃəs/

## Meanings
1. given to sudden, unpredictable changes of mood or behavior

## Examples
- The capricious weather ruined their picnic plans.

## Synonyms
- fickle
- whimsical
- unpredictable
- erratic
- mercurial
- volatile
- impulsive

## Antonyms
- steady
- constant
- consistent
- steadfast
- reliable

## Derived Forms
- capriciously
- capriciousness

## Related Forms
- caprice

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: capriccio
- Root: caput

## Etymology
From French capricieux, from Italian capriccioso, from capriccio ('whim'); see caprice.

## AI Etymology
Capricious is from French capricieux, from Italian capriccioso, from capriccio ('whim'); see caprice. Important recorded forms include capriccio (Italian) and caput (Latin). The current sense covers given to sudden, unpredictable changes of mood or behavior. The wider family includes derived forms such as capriciously and capriciousness and related words such as caprice.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown