After the mercurial and embattled state governor left a profanity-laced message on a legislator's telephone answering machine, he tried to explain himself: "I was so angry that I couldn't breathe."
Source: tatoeba (5386993)
Mercurial
/məːˈkjʊə.ɹɪ.əl/
Synonyms for "mercurial" (261 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (53)
Strong matches (78)
divergentdiversifieddiversiformdizzydouble quickdouble-mindeddouble-quickdubiouseagle-wingedebullienteccentriceffervescentelasticenergeticeroseerraticexcitableexpansiveexpeditiousexpress
Show 53 more words
faddishfastfast and loosefence-sittingfence-straddlingferrousferruginousficklefitfulfleetflickeringflightyflirtatiousflittingfluctuatingfluidflyingfreakishfriskyfull of gofull of lifefull of pepgallopinggiddygiltgoldgold filledgold-filledgold-platedgoldenhair triggerhair-triggerhastyheadlonghustlingimpetuousimpulsiveinconsistentinconstantindecisiveinfirminfirm of purposeingeniousironironlikeirregularirresoluteirresolvedirresponsiblejaggedjerkyleadleaden
Noun(3 words)
Related words (130)
lightlight footedlight of heellight-footedlivelivelylubriciousmazymercurousmilitantmobilemoodymotleymovablemugwumpianmugwumpishmutablenickelnickelicnickeline
Show 104 more words
nimblenimble footednimble-footednonconformistnonstandardnonuniformof two mindspeppyperkypertpewterpewterypluralisticprecipitatepromptquickquick as lightningquick as thoughtquicksilverraggedramblingrapidrecklessresilientrestlessroughrovingrunningscatterbrainedshapelessshiftingshiftyshufflingsilversilver platedsilver-platedsilveryskittishsmackingsnappyspankingspasmodicspeedyspinelessspiritedsporadicsprightlysprysteelsteelyswifttemperamentalticklishtintinnytoyingunaccountableuncertainuncontrolledundecidedundependableundeterminedundisciplinedunequableunequalunevenunfixedunorthodoxunpredictableunreliableunresolvedunrestrainedunsettledunstableunstable as waterunstaidunsteadfastunsteadyunsystematicununiformvacillatevacillatingvagrantvariablevariegatedvariformvariousvaryingversatilevicissitudinaryvicissitudinousvivaciousvolatilewanderingwantonwaveringwaverywavywaywardwhimsicalwingedwishy washywishy-washyzingy
Adjective(5 words)
Noun(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: erratic, fickle, active, activist, activistic.
- Sentence evidence is available for mercurial, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "mercurial".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "mercurial"
Keep "mercurial" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "mercurial" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "mercurial", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "mercurial" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesbehavior descriptorcharacter traitchemical termelemental descriptor
More specific
6 entriesmercuric chloridemercuric oxidemercuric sulfiderapid mood shiftunstable temperamentvolatile mood
Collocations
6 entriesmercurial behaviormercurial changesmercurial decision makingmercurial moodmercurial personalitymercurial temperament
Inflections
2 entriesmore mercurialmost mercurial
Derivations
2 entriessimilar
2 entriesSample sentences
29 total sentences available.
As for [Lambert] Simnell, there was not much in him, more then that hee was a handſome Boy, and did not ſhame his Robes. But this Youth (of whom wee are now to ſpeake) was ſuch a Mercuriall, as the like hath ſeldome beene knowne; and could make his owne part, if at any time hee chanced to bee out.
Source: wiktionary
She had paſſed through the milder Remedies frequently without ſucceſs: upon which account I deſigned Mercurialls; and beginning with Venæſection, afterwards purged her with decoct. epithymi, as it is preſcribed in the method of Cure. [...] After I had thus evacuated the Plethora, and diſpoſed her body for Mercurialls more operative, I gave her each morning and evening a few grains of Mercur. diaphoret. in a bolus with conſ. lujule and Mithridate, [...]
Source: wiktionary
[A] small dose of the mercurial may cause excessive salivation; and, if this discharge be attended by much soreness of throat, it is most difficult to determine whether the salivation is actually the result of the mercurial, or merely symptomatic of the sore throat and cold. If it proceed from the mercurial, there will generally be some tenderness of the gums, a soft and flabby state of the sides of the tongue, and it will generally be more obstinate.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 29 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "mercurial"?
Closest matches include erratic, fickle, active, activist, activistic.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "mercurial"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.