Capricious
/kəˈprɪʃəs/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Capricious means acting in a way that is not steady or predictable. It describes changes that happen quickly and without clear cause, often making it hard to understand or guess what will happen next. This word is often used for people’s moods, decisions, or weather.
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See It in Action
Changing mood or behavior suddenly and without reason
- •Her capricious nature made it hard to know how she would react.
- •The boss’s capricious decisions confused the employees.
- •Children can be capricious, happy one moment and upset the next.
Describing something that is unpredictable or likely to change quickly (like weather or events)
- •The capricious weather made it difficult to plan the picnic.
- •The stock market is often capricious, rising and falling without clear cause.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "capricious" like "change," but much faster and less expected—like a quick mood swing
- ✓Picture a small boat on a windy lake that suddenly moves in different directions without warning
- ✓It’s the feeling when a friend suddenly changes plans without telling you why, making you confused
- ✓Sounds like "cap-REE-shus" → imagine a "cap" flying off quickly in the wind, changing direction fast
- ✓Think of the character of the wind in stories: it blows softly, then suddenly strongly and changes direction without warning
- ✓NOT like "steady" (which means stable and not changing), "capricious" means very unsteady and unpredictable
- ✓NOT like "planned" (decisions made carefully), "capricious" means decisions or moods come without planning or reason
Try Other Words
- •Unpredictable: not able to be predicted or guessed (Use when you want to say something is hard to guess or expect)
- •Fickle: often changing opinions or feelings (Use when talking about people who change their minds often)
- •Whimsical: playful or unusual in a way that is not serious (Use when the change is light and fun, not serious)
- •Volatile: changing suddenly and often in a way that can be dangerous (Use when changes are strong and may cause problems)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "capri-" does not have a clear prefix here; the root is from Italian "capriccio"
- •Root: from Italian "capriccio" meaning a sudden change of mood or fancy (like a sudden desire)
- •Suffix: "-ous" meaning full of or having the quality of
- •Etymology: The word came into English in the 1600s from Italian, where it described sudden changes in mood or behavior
- •Historical development: Originally used to describe unpredictable moods, now also used for unpredictable events or things
- •Modern usage: Used to describe people, weather, events, or decisions that change quickly and without clear reason
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a time when someone’s capricious behavior surprised you? How did you feel?
•How does being capricious affect relationships or plans in daily life?
Fill in the blanks
1.Because of her capricious ___, we never knew if she would be happy or angry that day.
2.The weather was capricious ___, changing from sun to rain in just minutes.
3.Unlike steady leaders, capricious ___ often confuse their teams with sudden decisions.
4.When someone acts capricious ___, it can be hard to trust their promises.
5.The stock market is capricious ___, so investors need to be careful.
6.He shrugged off the criticism, showing a capricious ___ to what others thought.
7.Capricious ___ can make planning events difficult because of sudden changes.