Meaning & use
quicksilver
Last updated
An old-fashioned name for mercury, the liquid metal; also used to describe something that changes rapidly and unpredictably.
See it in a sentence
Alchemists once believed quicksilver held mysterious transformative powers.
Her quicksilver moods made her difficult to predict.
A note on using this word
As an adjective, "quicksilver" vividly captures speed and unpredictability, as in a "quicksilver temper" or "quicksilver wit."
Words with a similar meaning
mercury
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Changing quickly and unpredictably.
The market's quicksilver shifts made investors nervous.
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