EN

Synonyms for volatile

  • adjective

Most common

unstable unpredictable changeable inconstant short-lived fugitive fickle explosive

Synonyms by meaning

Adjective

1. Changeable — fickle

changeable, unstable, unpredictable, inconstant, erratic, variable, skittish, flighty, unsteady, capricious, whimsical, light-minded, giddy, irresolute, weathery, mercurial, uncertain, unsettled, mutable, vacillating, restless, irregular

2. Fugitive — temporary or ephemeral

fugitive, short-lived, transitory, perishable, transient, fleeting, ephemeral, temporary, ethereal, deciduous, flying, passing, momentary, transitive, fugacious, impermanent, mortal

3. Wild — of a person, quick to become angry or violent

wild, raging, furious, rabid

4. Fickle

fickle, buoyant, lively, airy, light dated

Other

explosive, evaporable, vaporizable, vaporisable UK, vapourisable UK, vapourizable UK, vaporable US, vapourable UK, shiftable

Antonyms

non-volatile, fixed, static

All antonyms of volatile →

Definitions

  1. adj. 1

    Of a person, quick to become angry or violent.

  2. adj. 2

    Fickle.

  3. adj. 3

    Temporary or ephemeral.

  4. adj. 4

    Evaporating or vaporizing readily under normal conditions.

Related words

Word family
volatileness volatility
Phrases
sal volatile

Example sentences

  • unstable Back in the 1990s, Algeria was incredibly unstable.
  • unpredictable Sami's father was a violent and unpredictable man.
  • changeable The weather is very changeable at this time of year.
  • fugitive The fugitive ended up trapped at a dead end street.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
volatilesteady
unstablesteady
unpredictablerising
changeablerising
inconstantfalling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters
wild1, airy2
5 letters
light1, giddy2, rabid2
6 letters
flying2, mortal2, lively2, raging2, fickle2
7 letters
passing2, furious3, erratic3, buoyant2, flighty2, mutable3
8 letters
variable4, unstable3, restless2, fugitive3, fleeting2, ethereal4, unsteady3, skittish2, weathery
9 letters
temporary4, uncertain3, explosive3, irregular4, transient2, unsettled3, whimsical3, momentary4, ephemeral4, deciduous4, mercurial4, shiftable, fugacious, vaporable
10 letters
changeable3, capricious3, perishable4, transitive, transitory4, inconstant, irresolute, evaporable, vapourable
11 letters
impermanent, vacillating4, vaporizable, vaporisable
12 letters
vapourisable, vapourizable
13 letters
unpredictable5

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (airy2 = 2 syllables).