INCONSTANT Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'inconstant' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of inconstant are capricious , fickle , mercurial , and unstable . While all these words 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

Q: When could 'capricious' be used to replace 'inconstant'?

The meanings of capricious and inconstant largely overlap; however, capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability. // an utterly capricious critic

Q: Where would 'fickle' be a reasonable alternative to 'inconstant'?

While in some cases nearly identical to inconstant , fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness. // performers discover how fickle fans can be

Q: When can 'mercurial' be used instead of 'inconstant'?

While the synonyms mercurial and inconstant are close in meaning, mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood. // made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament

Q: When would 'unstable' be a good substitute for 'inconstant'?

The words unstable and inconstant can be used in similar contexts, but 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

inconstant

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈkän(t)-stənt

Definition of inconstant next

as in volatile

likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly our windjammer sailed wherever the inconstant winds took us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in traitorous

not true in one's allegiance to someone or something an inconstant but always entertaining friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective inconstant differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of inconstant are capricious, fickle, mercurial, and unstable. While all these words 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

When could capricious be used to replace inconstant?

The meanings of capricious and inconstant largely overlap; however, capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.

an utterly capricious critic

Where would fickle be a reasonable alternative to inconstant?

While in some cases nearly identical to inconstant, fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness.

performers discover how fickle fans can be

When can mercurial be used instead of inconstant?

While the synonyms mercurial and inconstant are close in meaning, mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood.

made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament

When would unstable be a good substitute for inconstant?

The words unstable and inconstant can be used in similar contexts, but 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of inconstant That’s the one constant in this inconstant series. —

Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 28 May 2022 Oedipus and the Riddle Quadruped in the dawn, erect at noon, and wandering on three legs across the blind spaces of afternoon; so the eternal Sphinx saw her inconstant brother, Man. —

Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 19 Aug. 2011 The moon is earth’s closest, albeit inconstant, companion. —

Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, 11 June 2019 West Virginia has fielded some of the Big 12′s toughest defenses under Neal Brown, but is still one game under .500 since 2019 because of inconstant offense. —

Dallas News, 13 July 2022 See all Example Sentences for inconstant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inconstant

Adjective

The pilot follows an offbeat Fresno diner where an ex-party girl, a volatile chef, and an oddball busboy contend with ghost pirates, volcanoes, and the minor inconvenience of dying.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
The film opens on one such unexplained conflict, setting the tone for the volatile, irregular behavior that ensues.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 Feb. 2025