fickle

fickle
fickle c.1200, probably from O.E. ficol "deceitful, cunning, tricky," related to befician "deceive," and to facen "deceit, treachery." Common Germanic (Cf. O.S. fekan "deceit," O.H.G. feihhan "deceit, fraud, treachery"), from PIE *peig- "evil-minded, treacherous, hostile" (Cf. L. piget "it irks, troubles, displeases," piger "reluctant, lazy"). Sense of "changeable" is first recorded late 13c. Related: Fickleness.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • fickle — UK US /ˈfɪkl/ adjective ► likely to change suddenly and without warning: »Do Americans know how to invest in fickle markets? »The art market is as fickle and hard to predict as any other. ► likely to change your opinion or your feelings suddenly… …   Financial and business terms

  • Fickle — Fic kle, a. [OE. fikel untrustworthy, deceitful, AS. ficol, fr. fic, gefic, fraud, deceit; cf. f[=a]cen deceit, OS. f?kn, OHG. feichan, Icel. feikn portent. Cf. {Fidget}.] Not fixed or firm; liable to change; unstable; of a changeable mind; not… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fickle — index capricious, faithless, false (disloyal), inconsistent, irresolute, mutable, undependable, unpre …   Law dictionary

  • fickle — inconstant, unstable, capricious, mercurial Analogous words: Changeable, changeful, variable, protean: *fitful, spasmodic: light, light minded, frivolous, flighty, volatile (see corresponding nouns at LIGHTNESS) Antonyms: constant, *true… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • fickle — [adj] vacillating, blowing hot and cold arbitrary, capricious, changeable, cheating, coquettish, double crossing, faithless, fitful, flighty, frivolous, inconstant, irresolute, lubricious, mercurial, mutable, quicksilver, sneaking, temperamental …   New thesaurus

  • fickle — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ changeable, especially as regards one s loyalties. DERIVATIVES fickleness noun. ORIGIN Old English, «deceitful» …   English terms dictionary

  • fickle — [fik′əl] adj. [ME fikel < OE ficol, tricky < base of befician, to deceive, akin to gefic, betrayal, deceit: for IE base see FEY] changeable or unstable in affection, interest, loyalty, etc.; capricious SYN. INCONSTANT fickleness n …   English World dictionary

  • fickle — fickleness, n. /fik euhl/, adj. 1. likely to change, esp. due to caprice, irresolution, or instability; casually changeable: fickle weather. 2. not constant or loyal in affections: a fickle lover. [bef. 1000; ME fikel, OE ficol deceitful, akin to …   Universalium

  • fickle — [[t]fɪ̱k(ə)l[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED (disapproval) If you describe someone as fickle, you disapprove of them because they keep changing their mind about what they like or want. The group has been notoriously fickle in the past. Syn: capricious Derived …   English dictionary

  • fickle — fick•le [[t]ˈfɪk əl[/t]] adj. 1) not constant or loyal in affections 2) likely to change, esp. due to caprice, irresolution, or instability; casually changeable: fickle weather[/ex] • Etymology: bef. 1000; ME fikel, OE ficol deceitful… …   From formal English to slang

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