mercurial
mercurial Lexical Profile
mercurial Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind; volatile and erratic.
"The director was known for his mercurial temperament, shifting from enthusiastic praise to sharp criticism within minutes."
Characterized by rapid, lively, and clever thought or action; quick-witted and animated.
"Her mercurial wit made her a captivating speaker at academic conferences."
Of, relating to, or containing the chemical element mercury.
"Before modern digital instruments, meteorologists relied on a mercurial barometer to measure atmospheric pressure."
• noun
A pharmaceutical drug or chemical preparation containing mercury.
"In nineteenth-century medicine, physicians frequently prescribed mercurials despite their severe toxicity."
• Rhymes for mercurial
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French mercurial or Late Latin mercurialis ('of or relating to the god or planet Mercury'), originally used in medieval astrology to describe the lively, changeable temperament attributed to people born under the influence of the planet Mercury, and later reinforced by the fluidity of the chemical element mercury (quicksilver).