Meaning & use
unpredictable
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Changing suddenly and without warning, so you cannot know what will happen next.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun (an unpredictable result) or after a linking verb (the weather is unpredictable). Comparative: more unpredictable.
Patterns
- unpredictable weather
- an unpredictable person
- be unpredictable
- highly unpredictable
The weather in the mountains is unpredictable, so bring rain gear.
His mood is unpredictable, and you never know how he will react.
The stock market can be unpredictable in the short term.
adjectivecomparable
Behaving in a way that is not consistent or reliable, often causing difficulty.
Grammar: Describes people, teams, or systems that cannot be relied on to act in a certain way.
Patterns
- an unpredictable player
- unpredictable behavior
- be unpredictable to someone
The team's performance has been unpredictable all season.
Her unpredictable behavior made it hard for colleagues to plan meetings.
The old car is unpredictable; sometimes it starts, sometimes it doesn't.
Word forms
| comparative | more unpredictable |
|---|---|
| superlative | most unpredictable |
Common combinations
- highly unpredictable
- The outcome of the trial is highly unpredictable.
- unpredictable weather
- Unpredictable weather ruined our picnic plans.
- unpredictable behavior
- The teacher learned to handle the child's unpredictable behavior.
- completely unpredictable
- The plot of the movie is completely unpredictable.
- unpredictable nature
- The unpredictable nature of the virus worries scientists.
Synonyms and how they differ
- erratic
- Erratic suggests irregularity that is often worrying or faulty; unpredictable is broader and can simply mean 'not knowable in advance'.
- volatile
- Volatile is used for situations that can change suddenly and dangerously, especially markets or moods; unpredictable is more neutral.
- unstable
- Unstable emphasizes lack of steadiness or tendency to fall apart; unpredictable focuses on not being able to foresee what will happen.
Opposites
Word family
- predict verb
- To say what you think will happen in the future.
- prediction noun
- A statement about what you think will happen.
- predictably adverb
- In a way that is expected or easy to guess.
- predictability noun
- The quality of being able to be known or expected in advance.
Commonly confused: unpredictable or unpredicted?
unpredictable vs unpredicted
Unpredicted means 'not foretold or expected', often for a single event; unpredictable means 'impossible to foretell in general'.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'unpredictable' most naturally.
Choose one answer.
Unpredictable describes something that cannot be known in advance, like a train schedule. B and C use wrong prepositions; D uses the adjective as a noun, which is ungrammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unpredictable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.