1
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
capricious weather that was balmy one day and freezing cold the next
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impulsive
prone to sudden illogical changes of mind, ideas, or actions
a capricious woman who changed her mind dozens of times about what color to paint the bathroom
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of capricious
The lawsuit, filed by the legal group Democracy Forward on behalf of unions representing more than 800,000 civil servants, alleges that the Trump administration's resignation offer is arbitrary and capricious as well as unlawful.
—
Andrea Hsu, NPR, 6 Feb. 2025
In Poland, the capricious degrees and forms of oppression, reflecting Stalin’s murderous personality, fostered a vacillating, self-deceptive kind of surrender by the captive mind, imprisoned not by bars or walls but by its own failures of conviction.
—Robert Pinsky, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025
Moreover, as fewer people are sentenced to death and executed each year — most of them in a shrinking number of states — the death penalty system looks ever more arbitrary and capricious.
—Austin Sarat, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2025
Flashback: The recent arbitrary and capricious finding was not the first time a court labeled an SEC decision that way.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for capricious
Andrea Hsu, NPR, 6 Feb. 2025
In Poland, the capricious degrees and forms of oppression, reflecting Stalin’s murderous personality, fostered a vacillating, self-deceptive kind of surrender by the captive mind, imprisoned not by bars or walls but by its own failures of conviction.
—Robert Pinsky, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025
Moreover, as fewer people are sentenced to death and executed each year — most of them in a shrinking number of states — the death penalty system looks ever more arbitrary and capricious.
—Austin Sarat, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2025
Flashback: The recent arbitrary and capricious finding was not the first time a court labeled an SEC decision that way.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for capricious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for capricious
Adjective
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Dado Ruvic | Reuters Inflation worries, tariffs under the Trump administration and earnings season could continue to keep the stock market volatile and rattle investor sentiment.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2025
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With Earth's weather being altered in dangerous ways, the U.S. government turns to Cody to uncover the truth behind these volatile natural disasters.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Following Tony’s death, the act of freezing the curry was initially an impulsive decision.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
12 Feb. 2025
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Clearly, Americans were much more motivated by the price of eggs—which, incidentally, have only continued to skyrocket—than Musk's impulsive antics.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Inspired by the euphoric highs and unpredictable chaos of real-life festivals, SAINt set out to craft a project that feels just as immersive as the events that shaped it.—
Christopher Claxton,
Billboard,
21 Feb. 2025
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While beneficial, these technologies add complexity to network management, particularly in areas such as traffic routing, policy enforcement, and handling the unpredictable workloads generated by AI.—
Serge Lucio,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The easiest way to reach the bottom is a two-mile (three-km) hike along a dirt road from the visitor center through the eccentric rock formations of the Valley of Castles to a riverside picnic area beneath cool shade trees.—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
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The society’s charming, eccentric members, from pig farmers to literature lovers, become a central part of Juliet’s life.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Hers is the kind of face that inspires directors to tight framing — gleaming, as if smoothed from marble, and yet somehow pliant, changeful.—
Jordan Kisner Jack Davison,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2022
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Rigorous, blustery winter; winding sleety spring; hot, moist enervating summer; changeful autumn with its dog-days; these are absolutely unknown.—
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Though such investment had surged in 2017, a spike in 2019 prompted the first concerns that the departure to China of large amounts of American money was inconsistent with President Donald Trump’s goals.—
Derek Scissors,
National Review,
20 Feb. 2025
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The one knock on Frazier was that his snaps were inconsistent.—
Mike DeFabo,
The Athletic,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Is High in Antioxidants Orange juice is rich in healthy nutrients called antioxidants, compounds that help prevent cell damage from unstable molecules called free radical damage in a process known as oxidative stress.—
Aviv Joshua, MS,
Verywell Health,
11 Feb. 2025
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However, the ice was unstable and the search had to be suspended, troopers said.—
Sara Schilling,
Sacramento Bee,
10 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to capricious
Cite this Entry
“Capricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/capricious. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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