Fickle
/ˈfɪk.əl/noun
Likely to change quickly and unpredictably in feelings, loyalty, or behavior.
Did you know?Fickle comes from Old English roots meaning “deceitful” or “treacherous,” so the word originally carried a moral sting, not just a personality quirk.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fīklaz
“treacherous, deceitful, fickle”
Old English
OE
ficol
“deceitful, treacherous, tricky”
Middle English
ME
fikel
“changeable, unreliable”
16th Century
English
fickle
“inconstant, capricious”
Modern English
English
fickle
“likely to change suddenly or unpredictably”