as in unstable
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Recent Examples of labile
The mob is aroused and labile; the lumpy cops have no control, over the situation or over themselves.
—
James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Oct. 2024
Then the therapist could spend several minutes establishing a safe rapport with the patient while waiting for the memory to enter a labile state during the reconsolidation-updating window.
—Bj Casey, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
There was something kinetic, something labile in his air.
—Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Amid this high level of acting skill, Lindsey stood out with her wonderfully convincing gestures and facial expressions, filling out the character of the more labile younger sister with captivating verisimilitude.
—Jeremy Yudkin, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023
To be labile is to be unstable; in chemistry, a labile substance is easily broken down.
—Maureen Stanton, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
On unusually chilly days, these climatically labile folks are 0 for 3.
—Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2011
The painting, which ostensibly depicts Mary Magdalene in the reveries of devotion, is less spiritual than erotic: her interlaced fingers may be motionless, but her slight smile seems labile, indicating that Artemisia understood a woman’s sensuality from the inside out.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2020
According to the consolidation/reconsolidation hypothesis, recently acquired or reactivated memories are transformed progressively from an initially labile state into a stable form, through a protein-dependent process.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 22 Sep. 2015
James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Oct. 2024
Then the therapist could spend several minutes establishing a safe rapport with the patient while waiting for the memory to enter a labile state during the reconsolidation-updating window.
—Bj Casey, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
There was something kinetic, something labile in his air.
—Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Amid this high level of acting skill, Lindsey stood out with her wonderfully convincing gestures and facial expressions, filling out the character of the more labile younger sister with captivating verisimilitude.
—Jeremy Yudkin, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023
To be labile is to be unstable; in chemistry, a labile substance is easily broken down.
—Maureen Stanton, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
On unusually chilly days, these climatically labile folks are 0 for 3.
—Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2011
The painting, which ostensibly depicts Mary Magdalene in the reveries of devotion, is less spiritual than erotic: her interlaced fingers may be motionless, but her slight smile seems labile, indicating that Artemisia understood a woman’s sensuality from the inside out.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2020
According to the consolidation/reconsolidation hypothesis, recently acquired or reactivated memories are transformed progressively from an initially labile state into a stable form, through a protein-dependent process.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 22 Sep. 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for labile
Adjective
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On the flip side, the cushy, rocker-bottom shoe that makes your miles feel oh-so-smooth can leave you wobbly and unstable in the weight room.—
Cindy Kuzma,
SELF,
11 Mar. 2025
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Our dependence on oil puts countless service members’ lives at risk and reinforces our reliance on a volatile and unstable global market with the potential to devastate the U.S. economy.—
James Brock,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The few hundred square feet may seem significantly less spacious compared to a traditional, single family home, but the tiny house plan offers versatile options to make the most of your space.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2025
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Penske’s partner in the race team was a bright engineer from Brown University, Mark Donohue, who would go on to become one of the most accomplished and versatile drivers of the 1960s and early 1970s.—
Bruce Martin,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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On paper, Bridget can be compellingly hard to pin down, inconstant and ironic, messily self-aware, undeniably human.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2025
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The key finding is that as the distance grows greater, the coupling stops growing, and the inconstant constant becomes constant once more.—
Stanley J. Brodsky,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Labile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labile. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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