mercurial
[ mer-kyoor-ee-uhl ]
/ mərˈkyʊər i əl /
adjective
changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial nature.
animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted.
pertaining to, containing, or caused by the metal mercury.
(initial capital letter)
of or relating to the god Mercury.
(initial capital letter)
of or relating to the planet Mercury.
noun
Pharmacology.
a preparation of mercury used as a drug.
Origin of mercurial
SYNONYMS FOR mercurial
2
spirited.
ANTONYMS FOR mercurial
2
phlegmatic.
OTHER WORDS FROM mercurial
Words nearby mercurial
merciless,
merckx,
mercosur,
mercouri,
mercurate,
mercurial,
mercurial barometer,
mercurialism,
mercurialize,
mercuric,
mercuric chloride
Example sentences from the Web for mercurial
British Dictionary definitions for mercurial
mercurial
/ (mɜːˈkjʊərɪəl) /
adjective
of, like, containing, or relating to mercury
volatile; lively
a mercurial temperament
(sometimes capital)
of, like, or relating to the god or the planet Mercury
noun
med
any salt of mercury for use as a medicine
Derived forms of mercurial
mercurially, adverb mercurialness or mercuriality, nounWord Origin for mercurial
C14: from Latin
mercuriālis
Medical definitions for mercurial
mercurial
[ mər-kyur′ē-əl ]
adj.
Containing or caused by the action of the element mercury.
n.
A pharmacological or chemical preparation containing mercury.