labile
Prone to shifting
Labile describes something unstable or prone to change.
In chemistry, a labile compound breaks down or reacts easily.
In psychology, labile emotions shift rapidly and unpredictably: Her mood was labile, swinging from elation to despair within minutes.
The word appears mainly in technical contexts, suggesting a susceptibility to alteration that may be problematic or simply characteristic.
Prone to sudden change
- temperamentalEasily upset, unpredictable
- moodyProne to sullenness
- volatileLiable to sudden change
- capriciousSubject to sudden changes
changeable · unpredictable · erratic · fickle · impulsive · excitable · overwrought · tempestuous
Temporary, soon departing
- shiftingChanging position or form
- fluctuatingShifting irregularly over time
- impermanentNot meant to last
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
evanescent · fleeting · temporary · short-lived · dynamic · variable · inconstant · mutable
Tending to respond
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- catalystAgent enabling change
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- enzymeProtein that hastens reactions
degradation · oxidation · hydrolysis · photolabile · thermolabile · half-life · kinetic · redox
Capable of being molded
- pliableCapable of bending easily
- flexibleAble to bend freely
- adaptableAble to adjust readily
- moldableCapable of being shaped
ductile · supple · pliant · yielding · workable · soft · shapeable · formable
Converting liquid to gas
- vaporousLike a gas, diffuse
- sublimatingSolid-to-gas conversion
- gaseousIn vapor form
- effervescentFizzing with gas bubbles
vaporizing · distillable · aerosolized · dissipating · fugitive · ethereal
mercurial
Prone to sudden change
- temperamentalEasily upset, unpredictable
- moodyProne to sullenness
- volatileLiable to sudden change
capricious · changeable · unpredictable · erratic · fickle · impulsive · excitable · overwrought · tempestuous · dramatic
transient
Temporary, soon departing
- shiftingChanging position or form
- fluctuatingShifting irregularly over time
- impermanentNot meant to last
ephemeral · evanescent · fleeting · temporary · short-lived · dynamic · variable · inconstant · mutable · precarious
reactive
Tending to respond
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- catalystAgent enabling change
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
enzyme · degradation · oxidation · hydrolysis · photolabile · thermolabile · half-life · kinetic · redox · bonding
plastic
Capable of being molded
moldable · ductile · supple · pliant · yielding · workable · soft · shapeable · formable · deformable
evaporative
Converting liquid to gas
- vaporousLike a gas, diffuse
- sublimatingSolid-to-gas conversion
- gaseousIn vapor form
effervescent · vaporizing · distillable · aerosolized · dissipating · fugitive · ethereal
labilestable
Secure and unchanging
steady · even-tempered · balanced · equanimous · composed
labilestable
Secure and unchanging
stabile · inert · unreactive · fixed · resistant
labilestable
Secure and unchanging
fixed · constant · unchanging · immutable · invariable