mercurial

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/mɝːˈkjʊr.i.əl/
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Quick to change, quick in thought, or linked to Mercury.
Practice using mercurial in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • The chart marks the mercurial position.
  • Their mercurial relationship exhausted them.
  • He is a mercurial leader, warm one day and cold the next.
  • The novel follows a mercurial young inventor.
  • He brought a mercurial intelligence to the role.

Similar words

quick-witted
volatile
lively
capricious
mercury-containing
nimble
Mercurian
changeable
brilliant
unpredictable

Meanings

Suddenly changeable

adjective
personality
literary
Changing mood or behaviour quickly and unpredictably.

Examples

  • Her mercurial moods kept the team guessing.
  • The market was as mercurial as the weather.
  • He is a mercurial leader, warm one day and cold the next.
  • Their mercurial relationship exhausted them.
  • A mercurial response made planning difficult.

Similar words

volatile
changeable
unpredictable
capricious

Lively and quick-minded

adjective
personality
literary
Full of quick ideas, wit or lively energy.

Examples

  • Her mercurial wit enlivened the debate.
  • The novel follows a mercurial young inventor.
  • He brought a mercurial intelligence to the role.
  • Her mercurial mind leapt between ideas.
  • His mercurial charm won over the audience.

Similar words

quick-witted
lively
nimble
brilliant

Containing mercury

adjective
chemistry
technical
Containing or caused by the chemical element mercury.

Examples

  • The archive lists several mercurial compounds.
  • Workers handled mercurial waste with care.
  • The old treatment used a mercurial drug.
  • Tests found mercurial residue in the soil.
  • The laboratory stopped using mercurial preparations.

Similar words

mercury-containing

Relating to the planet Mercury

adjective
astronomy
technical
Connected with the planet Mercury or its position and movement.

Examples

  • The paper models a mercurial orbit.
  • Observers tracked a mercurial transit across the Sun.
  • The probe gathered mercurial surface data.
  • The chart marks the mercurial position.
  • Researchers compared mercurial and lunar terrain.

Similar words

Mercurian

Etymology

From Latin mercurialis, “relating to Mercury”, the Roman god and the planet named for him. Later uses drew on his quickness and on the metal mercury.

FAQ

What does mercurial mean?

Mercurial can mean changeable, quick-minded, containing mercury, or relating to the planet Mercury.

When is mercurial used?

A mercurial person may change moods suddenly, while mercurial wit is quick and lively.

How does mercurial differ from volatile?

Volatile stresses unpredictable change, but mercurial can also praise mental speed.

How is mercurial used in a sentence?

Her mercurial moods kept the team guessing.

Is mercurial formal?

The personality senses are literary, while the chemical and planetary senses are technical.

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