- Main Entry:
- in·con·stant

- Pronunciation:
-
\-stənt\
- Function:
- adjective
- Etymology:
- Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin inconstant-, inconstans, from in- + constant-, constans constant
- Date:
- 15th century
: likely to change frequently without apparent or cogent reason
— in·con·stant·ly adverb
synonyms 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>.