adj · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ɪˈɹætɪk/
Australian, Canada, General-American:/ɪˈɹætɪk/
Australian, Canada, General-American:[ɪˈɹæɾɪk]
Australian, Canada, General-American:/əˈɹætɪk/
Australian, Canada, General-American:[əˈɹæɾɪk]
QueenslandRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
New-Zealand:/əˈɹɛtək/
New-Zealand:[əˈɹɛɾək]
rhymes with -ætɪk
CMU ARPABET:IH0 R AE1 T IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Henry has been getting erratic scores on his tests: 40% last week, but 98% this week.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mercurial
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Deviating from normal opinions or actions; eccentric; odd.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
erratic conduct
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A rock moved from one location to another, usually by a glacier.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Anything that has erratic characteristics.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
liable to sudden unpredictable change
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
erratic behavior
fickle weather
mercurial twists of temperament
a quicksilver character, cool and willful at one moment, utterly fragile the next
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fickle, mercurial, quicksilver(a)
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
likely to perform unpredictably- Osbert Lancaster
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
erratic winds are the bane of a sailor
a temperamental motor; sometimes it would start and sometimes it wouldn't
that beautiful but temperamental instrument the flute
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: temperamental
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective satellite
Meaning 7
having no fixed course
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
an erratic comet
his life followed a wandering course
a planetary vagabond
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: planetary, wandering
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English erratik, erratyk, from Latin errāticus; compare Old French erratique.
Across languages
Translations
64 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
անկանոն
(ankanon)
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Armenian:
անհաստատ
(anhastat)
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Armenian:
անկայուն
(ankayun)
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Bulgarian:
непостоянен
(nepostojanen)
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Bulgarian:
изменчив
(izmenčiv)
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Catalan:
erràtic
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Danish:
tilfældig
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Dutch:
onregelmatig
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Finnish:
epätasainen
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Finnish:
epäsäännöllinen
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Finnish:
epävakaa
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Finnish:
ailahteleva
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
French:
erratique
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
German:
erratisch
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
German:
unstet
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
German:
unregelmäßig
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
German:
unberechenbar
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Greek:
αλλοπρόσαλλος
(alloprósallos)
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Hungarian:
szabálytalan
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Hungarian:
egyenetlen
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Hungarian:
szeszélyes
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Hungarian:
kiszámíthatatlan
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Hungarian:
rapszodikus
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Hungarian:
megbízhatatlan
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Latin:
erraticus
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Māori:
horehore
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Māori:
hārakiraki
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Māori:
hikimoke
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Māori:
ikimoke
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Portuguese:
errático
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Russian:
неравномерный
(neravnomernyj)
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Russian:
нерегулярный
(nereguljarnyj)
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Serbo-Croatian:
eratičan
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Serbo-Croatian:
iregularan
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Serbo-Croatian:
neravnomjeran
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Serbo-Croatian:
nekonzistentan
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Spanish:
inconstante
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Spanish:
irregular
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Spanish:
errático
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Ukrainian:
нестійки́й
(nestijkýj)
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Ukrainian:
непослідо́вний
(neposlidóvnyj)
— unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent
Danish:
uberegnelig
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
Danish:
slingrende
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
German:
gestört
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
German:
verhaltensauffällig
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
German:
erratisch
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
German:
verwirrt
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
Hungarian:
bizarr
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
Hungarian:
fura
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
Hungarian:
szokatlan
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
Hungarian:
bogaras
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
Māori:
whanokē
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
Spanish:
trastornado
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
Ukrainian:
дивни́й
(dyvnýj)
— deviating from normal opinions or actions
Ukrainian:
чудерна́цький
(čudernácʹkyj)
— deviating from normal opinions or actions