fickle

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈfɪkəl/ UK /ˈfɪkəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
changing frequently in loyalty or affection; inconstant

Public taste is fickle and hard to predict.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · changing frequently in... inconstant capricious changeable volatile mercurial unsteady flighty

Opposites

constant steadfast faithful loyal steady

Word family

Forms fickleness

Derived forms ficklenessfickly

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

Luck is a cruel mistress
Matching variant: Luck is a fickle mistress

Etymology

From Middle English fikel ('deceitful, treacherous'), from Old English ficol ('deceitful, cunning'), related to befician ('to deceive') and fācen ('deceit').

ficol Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# fickle

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

## Meanings
1. changing frequently in loyalty or affection; inconstant

## Examples
- Public taste is fickle and hard to predict.

## Synonyms
- inconstant
- capricious
- changeable
- volatile
- mercurial
- unsteady
- flighty

## Antonyms
- constant
- steadfast
- faithful
- loyal
- steady

## Derived Forms
- fickleness
- fickly

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ficol

## Etymology
From Middle English fikel ('deceitful, treacherous'), from Old English ficol ('deceitful, cunning'), related to befician ('to deceive') and fācen ('deceit').

## AI Etymology
Fickle comes from Middle English fikel ('deceitful, treacherous'), from Old English ficol ('deceitful, cunning'), related to befician ('to deceive') and fācen ('deceit'). The historical trail runs through Old English ficol. In modern use it means changing frequently in loyalty or affection; inconstant. Derived formations include fickleness, fickly.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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