Volatile
Adjective
Definition: Easily evaporated at normal temperatures; evaporating rapidly.
Definition: Liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse.
Definition: Tending to erupt into violence; explosive or fiery.
Definition: Highly unstable or reactive, especially in a chemical context.
Synonyms: Changeable, Inconstant, Fickle, Unstable, Explosive, Mercurial, Unpredictable
Antonyms: Constant, Stable, Steady, Consistent
- The volatile liquid evaporated quickly in the heat.
- The stock market can be highly volatile, with prices fluctuating drastically.
- The volatile situation in the country erupted into riots.
- "Volatility" is often associated with unpredictable changes or explosive reactions.
- Imagine a volatile substance bubbling and releasing fumes, symbolizing rapid change or instability.
Etymology:
Late Middle English (in the sense 'liable to change'): from Latin volatilis, from volare 'to fly'. The sense 'evaporating rapidly' arose in the mid 17th century.
Historical Usage:The word has primarily been used to describe substances that easily evaporate at normal temperatures since its origin.
Related Idioms:
"Walking on eggshells"
Explanation:Describes a situation where one must be cautious and careful because the atmosphere is unstable and easily tense, like walking on fragile eggshells.
Misconceptions:
Confusing the meaning of volatility as synonymous with explosiveness.
Explanation:While volatility can sometimes imply explosiveness, it primarily refers to rapid and unpredictable changes, which can occur in various contexts, not just explosive reactions.