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Today's "capricious" is a more specific synonym of "random," which gets overextended these days. If you say vague things like "she's so random," then "capricious" will be especially useful for you.
Could you recall these other terms about randomness?
1. F____go, meaning a whole bunch of random stuff all mixed together in a disorganized way.
2. O___ent, meaning a random little piece or part of something, maybe leftover from something else, or maybe belonging with an incomplete set of things.
make your point with...
"CAPRICIOUS"
Caprices are random mind-changes, random weird desires or opinions, or fanciful things in general.
Capricious things and people are full of caprices: they're either "whimsical, not rational, or not purposeful" or "changing all the time in an unpredictable way."
Pronunciation:
I recommend "kuh PRISH us." It rhymes with "suspicious."
Some prefer "kuh PREE shus."
Part of speech:
Adjective.
(Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late."
They can be used in two ways:
1. Right before a noun, as in "a capricious thing" or "a capricious person."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was capricious" or "He was capricious.")
Other forms:
caprice, caprices, capriciously, capriciousness
How to use it:
Talk about capricious people and animals, someone's capricious temper or reputation, capricious speech or behavior, capricious cravings or desires, capricious decisions, capricious movement, and capricious things (like systems, the weather or the climate, fate or destiny, popular opinion, someone's mind or memory, etc.).
examples:
My capricious little toddler asked for a banana, opened it, and decided not to eat a single bite. The rascal!
As a teenager, I skipped capriciously from one odd obsession to another; one week it was the conspiracy about the moon landing being a hoax, the next, it was interpreting my friends' dreams.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "capricious" means when you can explain it without saying "changing randomly" or "based on whims."
try it out:
Think of something or someone that seems totally random and unpredictable to you, and fill in the blanks: "_____ can be so capricious; just recently (it/they/he/she) _____."
Example: "My kitty Chloe can be so capricious; she's skittish and disdainful most of the time, but just recently she sat in my lap purring."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
Well-Named Creatures:
Some names for animals and other creatures define themselves instantly or after a brief moment’s thought: anteater, grasshopper, hummingbird, seahorse, octopus (eight-foot). But other names deserve some exploration; they hold hidden clues about what the animals look like or what they do. And sometimes the names reveal how baffled people were when they first caught a glimpse of the creatures and tried to name them. This month, I’ll give you the literal meaning of a creature's name, and you come up with what it is. Answers will appear in alphabetical order this month. (Oh, and the answers might be animals, birds, insects, or even extinct creatures.) Enjoy!
From yesterday: A "wing-fingered" creature is a p______.
Answer: It's a pterodactyl, whose name comes from Greek roots.
Try this one today: "He (who) scratches with the hands" is a r______.
review today's word:
1. The opposite of CAPRICIOUS is
A. BLAND
B. CONFINED
C. REGULAR
2. According to the New York Times, and pretty much everyone, _____ notoriously capricious.
A. the value of a dollar is
B. the voting habits of young people are
C. the crimes of demagogues and dictators were
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. C
2. B
Today's "capricious" is a more specific synonym of "random," which gets overextended these days. If you say vague things like "she's so random," then "capricious" will be especially useful for you.
"CAPRICIOUS" Caprices are random mind-changes, random weird desires or opinions, or fanciful things in general. Pronunciation: Part of speech:
My capricious little toddler asked for a banana, opened it, and decided not to eat a single bite. The rascal!
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "capricious" means when you can explain it without saying "changing randomly" or "based on whims."
Think of something or someone that seems totally random and unpredictable to you, and fill in the blanks: "_____ can be so capricious; just recently (it/they/he/she) _____."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The opposite of CAPRICIOUS is
To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
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