mercurial

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mer·cu·ri·al

(mər-kyo͝or′ē-əl)

adj.

1. often Mercurial

a. Roman Mythology Of or relating to the god Mercury.

b. Astronomy Of or relating to the planet Mercury.

2. Having the characteristics of eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, and thievishness attributed to the god Mercury.

3. Containing or caused by the action of the element mercury.

4. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: a mercurial nature.

A pharmacological or chemical preparation containing mercury.

[Middle English, of the planet Mercury, from Latin mercuriālis, of the god or planet Mercury, from Mercurius, Mercury.]

mer·cu′ri·al·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

mercurial

(mɜːˈkjʊərɪəl)

adj

1. (Elements & Compounds) of, like, containing, or relating to mercury

2. volatile; lively: a mercurial temperament.

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

(Medicine) med any salt of mercury for use as a medicine

[C14: from Latin mercuriālis]

merˈcurially adv

merˈcurialness, merˌcuriˈality n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mer•cu•ri•al

(mərˈkyʊər i əl)
adj.

1. changeable; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial nature.

2. animated; lively; sprightly.

3. pertaining to, containing, or caused by the metal mercury.

4. (cap.) of or pertaining to the god Mercury.

5. (cap.) of or pertaining to the planet Mercury.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin]

mer•cu′ri•al•ly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	mercurial - liable to sudden unpredictable change; "erratic behavior"; "fickle weather"; "mercurial twists of temperament"; "a quicksilver character, cool and willful at one moment, utterly fragile the next" erratic, quicksilver, fickle changeful, changeable - such that alteration is possible; having a marked tendency to change; "changeable behavior"; "changeable moods"; "changeable prices"
	2.	Mercurial - relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; "the Mercurial canals"
	3.	Mercurial - relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; "more than Mercurial thievishness"
	4.	mercurial - relating to or containing or caused by mercury; "mercurial preparations"; "mercurial sore mouth"

mercurial

adjective capricious, volatile, unpredictable, erratic, variable, unstable, fickle, temperamental, impulsive, irrepressible, changeable, quicksilver, flighty, inconstant his mercurial temperament
stable, constant, steady, consistent, reliable, predictable, dependable, unchanging

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

mercurial

adjective

Following no predictable pattern:

capricious, changeable, erratic, fantastic, fantastical, fickle, freakish, inconsistent, inconstant, temperamental, ticklish, uncertain, unpredictable, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile, whimsical.

Translations

mutevole

mercurial

[mɜːˈkjʊərɪəl] ADJ

1. (Chem) → mercúrico, mercurial

2. (= lively) → vivo; (= changeable) → veleidoso, voluble

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

mercurial

[mɜː^rˈkjʊəriəl] adj [person, temperament] → changeant(e)

mercurial

adj

(Chem: = containing mercury) → quecksilberhaltig

(fig) (= volatile) → sprunghaft, wechselhaft; (= lively) → quicklebendig

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

mercurial

[mɜːˈkjʊərɪəl] adj (unpredictable) → volubile

References in periodicals archive ?

"Atlanta" was one of the season's most critically praised series, so its win wasn't entirely unexpected--but given the Globes' reputation for mercurialness, it was far from a sure thing.

Setting a precedent: what do the Globes mean for the Oscars and Emmys?

But with so much of the film given this visual mercurialness, scenes that seem to contain needed or intended truths, are instead experienced as cinematic quicksilver.

Knight of Cups

Indeed, the entire history of the PKK, as well as Ocalan's mercurialness, suggests the group would be wise to keep any policy differences with the leader to themselves.