inconstant

in·con·stant

adj \-stənt\

Definition of INCONSTANT

: likely to change frequently without apparent or cogent reason

— in·con·stant·ly adverb

Examples of INCONSTANT

1. the inconstant nature of the business
2. <our windjammer sailed wherever the inconstant winds took us>

Origin of INCONSTANT

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin inconstant-, inconstans, from in- + constant-, constans constant

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to INCONSTANT

Synonyms: capricious, changeable, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, fickle, mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile

Antonyms: certain, changeless, constant, immutable, invariable, predictable, settled, stable, stationary, steady, unchangeable, unchanging, unvarying

Related Words: aimless, arbitrary, desultory, erratic, haphazard, hit-or-miss, irregular, random, scattered, slapdash, stray; ambivalent, hesitating, shaky, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, vacillating, wavering; dicey, undependable, unreliable, untrustworthy; adaptable, mobile, protean, versatile

Near Antonyms: equable, even, uniform; abiding, durable, lasting, permanent, persistent; dependable, reliable, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty

see all synonyms and antonyms

[+]more[-]hide

Synonym Discussion of INCONSTANT

inconstant, fickle, capricious, mercurial, unstable mean lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion). inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change <an inconstant friend>. fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness <performers discover how fickle fans can be>. capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability <an utterly capricious critic>. mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood <made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament>. unstable implies an incapacity for remaining in a fixed position or steady course and applies especially to a lack of emotional balance <too unstable to hold a job>.