Erratic — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /i-ˈra-tik/ er·rat·ic

Meaning & Definition of Erratic

Erratic (adjective)

  1. having no fixed course, wandering
  2. characterized by lack of consistency, regularity, or uniformity
  3. deviating from what is ordinary or standard, eccentric

Erratic (noun)

  1. one that is erratic; especially, a boulder or block of rock transported from its original resting place especially by a glacier

Erratic (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern

    "so far your effort to land a summer job has been very erratic"

    similar: aimless, arbitrary, catch-as-catch-can, desultory, haphazard, helter-skelter, hit-or-miss, random, scattered, slapdash, stray
    related: accidental, casual, chance, chancy, contingent, fluky, fortuitous, inadvertent, incidental, lucky, unconsidered, unintended, unintentional, unplanned, unpremeditated, scattershot, shotgun, irregular, odd, sporadic, spot, directionless, objectless, purposeless, indiscriminate, unsystematic, undirected, disorderly, disorganized, undiscriminating, unselective
    opposite: methodical, nonrandom, orderly, organized, regular, systematic, systematized
    near: established, fixed, regular, set, stable, steady, constant, continuous, even, arranged, managed, orchestrated, ordered, planned, aware, conscious, deliberate, purposeful, thoughtful, willful

  2. lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence

    "because of your erratic attendance at practice, you're in danger of being cut from the team"

    similar: aperiodic, casual, catchy, choppy, discontinuous, episodic, fitful, intermittent, irregular, occasional, spasmodic, spastic, sporadic, spotty, unsteady
    related: convulsive, sudden, violent, broken, disconnected, fragmentary, interrupted, aimless, arbitrary, desultory, haphazard, hit-and-miss, hit-or-miss, odd, random, scattered, slapdash, stray, capricious, changeful, changing, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, varying, wavering, changeable, fickle, variable, volatile
    opposite: constant, continuous, habitual, periodic, regular, repeated, steady
    near: changeless, equable, even, stable, stationary, uniform, unchanging, unvarying, unwavering, methodical, orderly, systematic, unrelenting, unremitting

  3. not staying constant

    "business at the fast-food restaurant has been so erratic lately that the manager never knows how much staff to have on hand"

    similar: changing, fluctuating, irregular, unequal, uneven, unstable, unsteady, varying
    related: capricious, changeable, changeful, choppy, fickle, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, uncertain, unsettled, variable, volatile
    opposite: changeless, constant, stable, steady, unchanging, unvarying
    near: regular

  4. different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion

    "the animal's erratic behavior made her wonder if it was ill"

    similar: bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious, eccentric, far-out, funky, funny, kinky, kooky, odd, off-kilter, off-the-wall, offbeat, out-of-the-way, outlandish, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queerish, quirky, remarkable, rum (chiefly British), screwy, spaced-out, strange, wacky, way-out, weird, weirdo, wild
    related: aberrant, abnormal, addlepated, flaky, extraordinary, fantastic, freak, freakish, freaky, phantasmagoric, phenomenal, atypical, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted, conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, salient, striking, atrocious, outrageous, shocking, crotchety, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, nonmainstream, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox, baffling, bewildering, confounding, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling
    near: average, commonplace, everyday, garden, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, typical, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, conformist, conservative, conventional, expected, familiar, knee-jerk, predictable, common, customary, frequent, habitual, regular, wonted

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Erratic

The most common words with a similar meaning to Erratic:

Chiefly British: rum
aimless, arbitrary, catch-as-catch-can, desultory, haphazard, helter-skelter, hit-or-miss, random, scattered, slapdash, stray, aperiodic, casual, catchy, choppy, discontinuous, episodic, fitful, intermittent, irregular, occasional, spasmodic, spastic, sporadic, spotty, unsteady, changing, fluctuating, unequal, uneven, unstable, varying, bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious, eccentric, far-out, funky

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Erratic

Words with the opposite meaning of Erratic:

methodical, nonrandom, orderly, organized, regular, systematic, systematized, constant, continuous, habitual, periodic, repeated, steady, changeless, stable, unchanging, unvarying

Related Words for Erratic

accidental, chance, chancy, contingent, fluky, fortuitous, inadvertent, incidental, lucky, unconsidered, unintended, unintentional, unplanned, unpremeditated, scattershot, shotgun, spot, directionless, objectless, purposeless, indiscriminate, unsystematic, undirected, disorderly, disorganized, undiscriminating, unselective, convulsive, sudden, violent

Near Antonyms of Erratic

established, fixed, set, even, arranged, managed, orchestrated, ordered, planned, aware, conscious, deliberate, purposeful, thoughtful, willful, equable, stationary, uniform, unwavering, unrelenting, unremitting, average, commonplace, everyday, garden, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill

Word Forms of Erratic

Derived words: erratical (adjective), erratically (adverb), erraticism (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Erratic

Middle English erratik "wandering" (in the phrase erratik sterre "wandering star," i.e., a planet), borrowed from Latin errāticus "having no fixed position, wandering (of a heavenly body)," "wild, uncultivated (of a plant)," from errāre "to wander, roam, drift" + -āticus, adjective suffix of appurtenance err, -age

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Erratic

What does "Erratic" mean?

"Erratic" means having no fixed course, wandering. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: having no fixed course, wandering. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Erratic"?

Other words for "Erratic" include aimless, arbitrary, catch-as-catch-can, desultory, haphazard, helter-skelter, hit-or-miss and random. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Erratic" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Erratic"?

There are 159 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Erratic". Common alternatives include aimless, arbitrary, catch-as-catch-can, desultory, haphazard, helter-skelter, hit-or-miss, random, scattered and slapdash.

What is the opposite of "Erratic"?

Antonyms of "Erratic" include methodical, nonrandom, orderly, organized, regular, systematic, systematized and constant. Near antonyms include established, fixed, set and even.

How do you use "Erratic" in a sentence?

Examples of "Erratic" in a sentence: "so far your effort to land a summer job has been very erratic"; "because of your erratic attendance at practice, you're in danger of being cut from the team"; "business at the fast-food restaurant has been so erratic lately that the manager never knows how much staff to have on hand".

Is "Erratic" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Erratic" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Erratic"?

"Erratic" is pronounced /i-ˈra-tik/ and divided into syllables as er·rat·ic.

What is the origin of the word "Erratic"?

"Erratic" comes from Middle English erratik "wandering" (in the phrase erratik sterre "wandering star," i.e., a planet), borrowed from Latin errāticus "having no fixed position, wandering (of a heavenly body)," "wild, uncultivated (of a plant)," from errāre "to wander, roam, drift" + -āticus, adjective suffix of appurtenance err, -age. First known use: 14th century.