fickle en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈfɪk.əl/
Etymology
From Middle English fikil, fikel, from Old English ficol (“fickle, cunning, tricky, deceitful”), equivalent to fike + -le. More at fike.
Meanings
-
Quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance; insincere; not loyal or reliable.
O Fortune, Fortune, all men call thee fickle, / If thou art fickle, what doſt thou with him / That is renown'd for faith? be fickle Fortune: / For then I hope thou wilt not keepe him long, / But ſend him backe.
c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v], page 69:As night has such a local ring / And love and rock are fickle things
2010, James Murphy, “Home”, in This Is Happening, performed by LCD Soundsystem:Still onward winds the dreary way; I with it; for I long to prove No lapse of moons can canker Love, Whatever fickle tongues may say.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXVI”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 43:
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(figuratively) Changeable.
fickle stock market
fickle breeze
2014, Paul Salopek, Blessed. Cursed. Claimed., National Geographic (December 2014)https://web.archive.org/web/20150212214621/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/pilgrim-roads/salopek-text To the south, the vast geometrical deserts of Arabian nomads, a redoubt of feral movement, of fickle winds, of open space, of saddle leather—home to the wild Bedouin tribes.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more fickle | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| ficklest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| most fickle | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| fickler | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
ficklety · ficklesome · fickle mistress · unfickle · fickly · fucked by the fickle finger of fate · fickle finger of fate · fickleness
Synonyms
erratic · capricious · roving · mercurial · vertiginous · flighty
Translations (114)
uk змінли́вий (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · nl onbestendig (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · eo nefidinda (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · cs nestálý (changeable) · nl wispelturig (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · de wankelmütig (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · de unstet (changeable) · nl onbetrouwbaar (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · tr hercai (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · sh hirovit (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · ru переме́нчивый (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · pt volúvel (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · de wechselhaft (changeable) · el άστατος (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · sh mušičav (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · tr kaypak (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · fa دمدمی مزاج (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · fr inconstant (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · fr volage (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · de flatterhaft (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · nb vaklende (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · bn অস্থির (changeable) · ru ве́треный (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · ro capricios (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · tr caygın (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · cs přelétavý (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · cmn 薄情 (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · tr dönek (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · el ευμετάβλητος (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · oc cambiadís (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · is hverflyndur (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · ca inconstant (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · fi häilyvä (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · nl grillig (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · bg непостоя́нен (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · fi huikenteleva (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · bg проме́нлив (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · sh nepostojan (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · tr kahpe (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · gl caprichoso (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · oc inconstant (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · cs vrtkavý (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · nl onberekenbaar (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · is óstöðugur (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · bn খামখেয়ালী (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · nb ubestemmelig (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · fr changeant (changeable) · mi taurangi (changeable) · fa حزبِ باد (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · mk ме́нлив (changeable) · fr capricieux (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · nb vankelmodig (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · it mutevole (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · cmn 多變 /多变 (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · es voluble (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · gv lhiam-lhiat (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · pt volátil (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · ru переме́нчивый (changeable) · sv nyckfull (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · oc viradís (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · bg отмятащ се (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · fi vaihteleva (changeable) · uk непості́йний (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · sv ombytlig (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · fr indécis (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · fr lunatique (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · tl balimbing (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · gl antolladizo (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · fi vaihteleva (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · oc capriciós (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · oc lunard (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · it volubile (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · it capriccioso (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · la inconstans (changeable) · la instabilis (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · be зме́нлівы (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · da vankelmodig (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · de unbeständig (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · ru непостоя́нный (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · la inconstans (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · ja 気まぐれな (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · nl veranderlijk (changeable) · oc cambiadís (changeable) · de launisch (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · oc lunatenc (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · nb lunefull (changeable) · da vægelsindet (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · hy հեղհեղուկ (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · be непастая́нны (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · mk про́менлив (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · fi ailahteleva (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · uk мінли́вий (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · mk про́менлив (changeable) · pt caprichoso (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · de unstet (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · gd leam-leat (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · ro schimbător (changeable) · mk непо́стојан (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · ko 변덕(變德)스럽다 (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · da lunefuld (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · uk неста́лий (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · ro schimbător (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · nb skiftende (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · cs nestálý (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · ro inconstant (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · gl volúbel (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · it incostante (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · de unbeständig (changeable) · sh prevrtljiv (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · oc lunatic (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · nb skiftende (changeable) · es veleidoso (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · ja 気が多い (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance) · de wechselhaft (quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance)