volatile
Likely to change suddenly, often for the worse.
volatile in a sentence
- The weather in the mountains is volatile, so pack for both sun and snow.
- The volatile volcano could erupt at any moment.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to volatile?
- Astable
- Bsteady
- Cunpredictable
- Dcalm
Show the answer
C: unpredictable. The other three mean the opposite of volatile.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to volatile?
- Aerratic
- Bstable
- Cunpredictable
- Dchangeable
Show the answer
B: stable. The other three mean nearly the same as volatile.
Words that mean something similar
unpredictable, changeable, erratic
Words that mean the opposite
stable, calm, steady
More words about behaviour & manners
- wary: Careful because you sense there might be danger.
- wasteful: Using more of something than you need, so some of it is thrown away or lost.
- wayward: Behaving badly and hard to control.
- wholesome: Good for you and healthy.
- yield: To give in and stop fighting, or to produce something like crops.
- adhere: To stick firmly to something, or to follow a rule closely.
- admirable: So good that people look up to it and praise it.
- aggravate: To make a problem worse, or to really annoy someone.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test