1
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
capricious weather that was balmy one day and freezing cold the next
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impulsive
prone to sudden illogical changes of mind, ideas, or actions
a capricious woman who changed her mind dozens of times about what color to paint the bathroom
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of capricious
The lawsuit, filed by the legal group Democracy Forward on behalf of unions representing more than 800,000 civil servants, alleges that the Trump administration's resignation offer is arbitrary and capricious as well as unlawful.
—
Andrea Hsu, NPR, 6 Feb. 2025
In Poland, the capricious degrees and forms of oppression, reflecting Stalin’s murderous personality, fostered a vacillating, self-deceptive kind of surrender by the captive mind, imprisoned not by bars or walls but by its own failures of conviction.
—Robert Pinsky, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025
Moreover, as fewer people are sentenced to death and executed each year — most of them in a shrinking number of states — the death penalty system looks ever more arbitrary and capricious.
—Austin Sarat, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2025
Flashback: The recent arbitrary and capricious finding was not the first time a court labeled an SEC decision that way.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for capricious
Andrea Hsu, NPR, 6 Feb. 2025
In Poland, the capricious degrees and forms of oppression, reflecting Stalin’s murderous personality, fostered a vacillating, self-deceptive kind of surrender by the captive mind, imprisoned not by bars or walls but by its own failures of conviction.
—Robert Pinsky, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025
Moreover, as fewer people are sentenced to death and executed each year — most of them in a shrinking number of states — the death penalty system looks ever more arbitrary and capricious.
—Austin Sarat, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2025
Flashback: The recent arbitrary and capricious finding was not the first time a court labeled an SEC decision that way.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for capricious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for capricious
Adjective
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Hence, despite its extremely high valuation, the stock appears attractive but volatile, which supports our conclusion that AVGO is a tricky stock to buy.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Wall Street ultimately found the business too volatile and debt-heavy to get fully behind the stock.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The United States under the chaotic, impulsive leadership of President Donald Trump is abandoning its longstanding alliances with fellow democracies in favor of, at best, strategic ambivalence.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
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These are not the actions of a responsible superpower, but rather the impulsive demands of a declining hegemon that has lost its way.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Inspired by the euphoric highs and unpredictable chaos of real-life festivals, SAINt set out to craft a project that feels just as immersive as the events that shaped it.—
Christopher Claxton,
Billboard,
21 Feb. 2025
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The 2024 draft class offered an unpredictable mix, which was clear when the Atlanta Hawks reportedly attempted to shop the No. 1 pick in the weeks leading up to draft night.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The easiest way to reach the bottom is a two-mile (three-km) hike along a dirt road from the visitor center through the eccentric rock formations of the Valley of Castles to a riverside picnic area beneath cool shade trees.—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
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The society’s charming, eccentric members, from pig farmers to literature lovers, become a central part of Juliet’s life.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Hers is the kind of face that inspires directors to tight framing — gleaming, as if smoothed from marble, and yet somehow pliant, changeful.—
Jordan Kisner Jack Davison,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2022
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Rigorous, blustery winter; winding sleety spring; hot, moist enervating summer; changeful autumn with its dog-days; these are absolutely unknown.—
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Though such investment had surged in 2017, a spike in 2019 prompted the first concerns that the departure to China of large amounts of American money was inconsistent with President Donald Trump’s goals.—
Derek Scissors,
National Review,
20 Feb. 2025
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However, his sophomore year was marred by injuries and inconsistent play.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Countries like Canada, Portugal, and Australia offer alternative investor visa programs with clear, consistent rules, which would be made more attractive if the U.S. appears unpredictable or politically unstable.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Its secret to staying afloat in an unstable industry in the ever-evolving city of Raleigh is willingness to lean into change.—
Lucille Sherman,
Axios,
25 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to capricious
Cite this Entry
“Capricious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/capricious. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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