Word of the Day 06/22/25 Fickle

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Fickle (adjective)
fickle [fik-uhl]

adjective
1. likely to change, especially due to caprice, irresolution, or instability; casually changeable.: fickle weather.
2. not constant or loyal in affections.: a fickle lover.

Other Word Forms
fickleness noun
unfickle adjective
ˈfickleness noun

Related Words
capricious, changeable, flighty, temperamental, unpredictable, unstable, volatile

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Synonyms
1. fitful, capricious, variable, unsteady, unstable
2. inconstant

Synonym Study
Fickle, inconstant, capricious, vacillating describe persons or things that are not firm or steady in affection, behavior, opinion, or loyalty. Fickle implies an underlying perversity as a cause for the lack of stability: the fickle seasons, disappointing as often as they delight; once lionized, now rejected by a fickle public. Inconstant suggests an innate disposition to change: an inconstant lover, flitting from affair to affair. Capricious implies unpredictable changeability arising from sudden whim: a capricious administration constantly and inexplicably changing its signals; a capricious and astounding reversal of position. Vacillating means changeable due to lack of resolution or firmness: an indecisive, vacillating leader, apparently incapable of a sustained course of action.

Origin: First recorded before 1000; Middle English fikel, Old English ficol “deceitful,” akin to fācen “treachery,” (be)fician “to deceive,” fǣcne “deceitful,” gefic “deception”

Example Sentences
I’ve been reflecting a lot on how much Trump resembles the vast majority of kings, emperors and rulers throughout history: obsessed with unlimited power, fickle, self-absorbed, quarantined against reality.
From Salon

Private companies, too, have proved fickle in their commitment.
From BBC

But with an election scheduled for May 2026, any fickle bonds of unity are likely to evaporate as quickly as they formed.
From BBC

Pay-TV providers, including Google, are motivated to control costs to attract and retain fickle subscribers who have an abundance of viewing options.
From Los Angeles Times

Unlike the fickle, fleeting peace that can be derived from forcing pain onto others, true harmony comes from unity and the journey toward it.
From Salon

Now YOU come up with a sentence (or fic? or graphic?) that best illustrates the word.