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
-
This unstable dwelling, with its crumbling walls and lack of proper bedrooms for the children, comes to stand for a far more sinister lack of boundaries.—
Leslie Camhi,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2025
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If someone is making credible threats or is mentally unstable, existing laws already allow for arrests, mental health evaluations, and emergency detentions—all of which come with constitutional safeguards.—
Lee Habeeb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For the Love of the Game (1999) Sam Raimi was quite the versatile filmmaker, directing everything from low-budget horror to big-budget action to everything in between—including this part-baseball, part-romance.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Chicken Chicken breast is a versatile main course that can be prepared in various ways.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Much like a patient who fails to finish a course of antibiotics, inconstant policies may incur all the costs and none of the benefits.—
David Carlin,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Labile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/labile. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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