Meaning & use
erratic behavior
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Meaning
noununcountable
Actions that are unpredictable, irregular, or not consistent with what is normal or expected.
Grammar: Uncountable; used with singular verbs. Can be preceded by 'such' or 'this kind of'.
Patterns
- someone's erratic behavior
- exhibit erratic behavior
- a pattern of erratic behavior
His erratic behavior at work worried his colleagues.
The patient showed erratic behavior after the accident.
Such erratic behavior is unusual for her.
Common combinations
- exhibit erratic behavior
- The animal began to exhibit erratic behavior when it was stressed.
- increasingly erratic behavior
- Her increasingly erratic behavior led to concerns.
- a pattern of erratic behavior
- The report noted a pattern of erratic behavior over several months.
- erratic behavior patterns
- Doctors studied the erratic behavior patterns of the patients.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unpredictable behavior
- Similar, but 'unpredictable' focuses on not being able to be foreseen, while 'erratic' adds a sense of irregularity and lack of consistency.
- inconsistent behavior
- This emphasizes lack of steadiness or reliability rather than the unpredictable swings suggested by 'erratic'.
Opposites
Commonly confused: erratic behavior or erratic?
erratic behavior vs erratic
The adjective form; 'erratic behavior' is the noun phrase. Don't confuse with 'erotic', which means sexual.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'erratic behavior' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 2 is correct because 'erratic behavior' refers to unpredictable actions that cause problems. Option 1 is wrong because erratic behavior is not typically a source of popularity. Option 3 is contradictory. Option 4 describes consistent rule-following, which is the opposite of erratic.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “erratic behavior”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.