Fickle

How to spell fickle

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce fickle

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does fickle mean?

1. adjectiveLikely to change frequently and without reason, especially in loyalties, affections, or opinions.

Fickle in a sentence

• The fickle weather ruined our plans for an outdoor wedding.

• Investors grew nervous because the market had become so fickle.

Where does fickle come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

Fickle comes from the Old English ficol, which meant 'deceitful, treacherous, or crafty', a much harsher sense than the word carries today. It was related to the Old English noun facen, meaning 'deceit or fraud', and to the verb befician, 'to deceive', so the earliest fickle person was someone you genuinely could not trust. Over the medieval period the meaning softened from outright treachery toward the milder modern idea of someone who simply changes their mind, their loyalties, or their moods without warning. By the time of Middle English it was being applied to fortune, weather, and affection, all things that shift unpredictably. The word is native Germanic rather than borrowed from Latin or French, which is why it has that short, blunt shape; the spelling trap is the unstressed final syllable, written -le, where the ear hears only a vague 'kuhl'.

How the word is built

• fic- (from Old English ficol: deceitful, changeable)
• -le (adjectival/frequentative ending)