as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
the boss's mood is so mercurial that we never know how he's going to react to anything
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Recent Examples of mercurial
As the more mercurial of the two, Culkin masterfully navigates an excellent character arc, taking an outspoken nuisance and giving him thoughtful nuance on a Holocaust tour.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Right Here, an 18-track manifesto of stateless, mercurial trap music.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 25 Feb. 2026
And for Paramount, losing an expensive late-night comedian and irritating a few TV personalities may ultimately be the cost of doing business in a world where the biggest transactions could hinge on the feelings of a mercurial and demanding world leader.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Furthermore, Microsoft executives threw in their lot with the mercurial Altman, who doesn’t care at all about them and seems to outsmart them at every turn.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mercurial
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Right Here, an 18-track manifesto of stateless, mercurial trap music.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 25 Feb. 2026
And for Paramount, losing an expensive late-night comedian and irritating a few TV personalities may ultimately be the cost of doing business in a world where the biggest transactions could hinge on the feelings of a mercurial and demanding world leader.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Furthermore, Microsoft executives threw in their lot with the mercurial Altman, who doesn’t care at all about them and seems to outsmart them at every turn.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mercurial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercurial
Adjective
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Ultraviolet light from its host star triggers the creation of sulfur dioxide in the upper atmosphere, and a massive sub-surface magma ocean acts as a buffer, storing and releasing volatile gases over billions of years.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
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The volatile crude oil prices causing retail gasoline prices to swing up sharply have had the same effect on the price of jet fuel.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Strengthening the layers Epoch 2 solves the problem of unpredictable missile paths by using high-tech heat sensors and laser communication.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
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Revenue hinges on capital gains from investments, bonuses to executives and windfalls from new stock offerings, all of which are grossly unpredictable.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mercurial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercurial. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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