I am working to master the American English language. Recently I came across a new word, fickle. The word fickle defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary is "marked by lack of steadfastness, constancy, or stability". Simple enough. However, when you add a noun and/or a preposition then the phrase seems to take on another meaning that I don't quite get. A few examples:
Money is a fickle thing.
The fickle wind.
A fickle fortune.
Fickle love.
Fickle in love.
I will try to define each of these examples, and you tell me if I am close or if I need to study this word even more.
Money is a fickle thing. Meaning that money is not stable. That you can lose money really easily.
The fickle wind. Sounds like "the soft wind". Or the wind that does not feel like wind.
A fickle fortune. A fortune that is supported by questionable investments.
Fickle love. That love is weak. Or just weak love.
Fickle in love. I have no idea what this means.
Your input would be greatly appreciated.
How does the adjective 'fickle' differ from other similar words?
Some common synonyms of fickle are capricious, inconstant, mercurial, and unstable. While all these words mean "lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion)," fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness.
// performers discover how fickle fans can be
When could 'inconstant' be used to replace 'fickle'?
The meanings of inconstant and fickle largely overlap; however, inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change.
// an inconstant friend
In what contexts can 'capricious' take the place of 'fickle'?
In some situations, the words capricious and fickle are roughly equivalent. However, capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.
// an utterly capricious critic