- Today's Word
Mercurial
mər-KYUR-ee-uhl (or mur-KYOOR-ee-uhl)
Definition
- (adjective) Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind; volatile, capricious.
- Relating to the Roman god Mercury (or the planet Mercury), often implying qualities of cleverness, eloquence, or swiftness.
Example
Her mercurial temperament made her both exhilarating and exhausting to work with; one moment she was full of boundless enthusiasm, and the next, stormy and withdrawn.
Fun Fact
The word “mercurial” is derived from the Roman god Mercury, who was known for his speed, wit, and trickery. Mercury was also the messenger of the gods, and his unpredictable nature made him a fitting inspiration for the term. In alchemy, “mercurial” also refers to mercury (quicksilver), a liquid metal known for its fluid and volatile properties, reinforcing the word’s association with changeability. Over time, “mercurial” evolved to describe not only physical but also emotional and mental shifts, making it a vivid way to characterize people with ever-changing moods.
(adjective) Of doubtful authenticity; widely circulated but almost certainly not true or not based in fact.
The tale of Washington chopping down the cherry tree is almost certainly apocryphal — a moral fable dressed up as biography and repeated until it became fact.
Apocryphal derives from the Greek apokryphos, meaning “hidden” or “obscure,” from apokryptein — “to hide away” — built from apo- (“away”) and kryptein (“to hide”). It entered English through the ecclesiastical Latin apocrypha, referring to biblical texts excluded from the official canon — writings considered of uncertain or dubious origin. From there it broadened into its modern sense of any story or claim whose authenticity is doubtful despite its wide circulation.