Capricious

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kəˈpɹɪʃəs/

Definitions

1. Tending to change behavior or mood suddenly and without reason
2. Marked by impulsive and unpredictable changes in actions or feelings
3. Characterized by whimsy or sudden shifts in temperament or decisions

Etymology: Capriccio originally meant a sudden shiver or a leap, not a whim. Its Italian source is "capro," a goat, and the image is of a goat skipping about unpredictably. Italian used capriccio for a sudden start or a fanciful notion, and the word moved into French as "caprice" before reaching English. The adjective "capricious" was borrowed from French "capricieux," which in turn came from Italian "capriccioso," an adjective built on the same stem and meaning full of whims or fancies. The English adjective is therefore a French-influenced formation, and its underlying structure is the noun "caprice" plus the suffix "-ious," which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "full of" the quality named. Read that way, "capricious" simply means full of caprice. The goat image explains why the sense of sudden, unpredictable change came to dominate: a goat leaping from one spot to another offers no warning.

Synonyms: fickle, whimsical, changeable, mercurial, unpredictable

Antonyms: consistent, steady, reliable, predictable, stable