Standard Lemma guide

vagary

noun · 4 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.

  • /vəˈɡɛɚ.i/ General American, formerly
  • /ˈveɪɡəɹi/ General American, now commonly
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: V EY1 G ER0 IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Something vague.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • to speak in vagaries

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice or whim.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: boutade, caprice, capriccio, conceit, crotchet, delirament, fancy, fangle, figary, flisk, freak, kink, lark, maggot, megrim, spleen, toy, vagary, whim, whim-wham, whimsy

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

an unexpected and inexplicable change in something (in a situation or a person's behavior, etc.)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the vagaries of the weather
  • his wealth fluctuates with the vagaries of the stock market
  • he has dealt with human vagaries for many years

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alteration, modification

History

Etymology

From Italian vagare (“wander”) and/or its source Latin vagārī (“to wander”), from Latin vagus (“wandering”). Later apparently reinterpreted in English as vague + -ery but without changing the spelling. By surface analysis, Latin vag(us) + -ary.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: extravagáncia — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Dutch: wispelturigheid — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Finnish: päähänpisto — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • French: extravagance — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Georgian: ახირება (axireba) — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Georgian: გამოსვლა (gamosvla) — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • German: Unwägbarkeit — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Greek: ιδιοτροπία (idiotropía) — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Occitan: extravagança — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Occitan: escasença — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Occitan: azard — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Occitan: alèa — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Persian: بلهوسی (bolhavasi) — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Persian: دمدمیمزاجی (damdami-mezâji) — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Portuguese: extravagância — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Russian: вы́ходка (výxodka) — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Spanish: extravagancia — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Spanish: rareza — An erratic, unpredictable occurrence or action
  • Bulgarian: прищявка (prištjavka) — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Bulgarian: приумица (priumica) — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Catalan: capritx — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Czech: rozmar — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Czech: vrtoch — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Dutch: gril — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Dutch: nuk — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Finnish: päähänpisto — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • French: caprice — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Georgian: კაპრიზი (ḳaṗrizi) — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • German: Laune — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Greek: φαντασιοπληξία (fantasioplixía) — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Occitan: caprici — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Persian: هوس (havas) — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Portuguese: capricho — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Russian: капри́з (kapríz) — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Spanish: antojo — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Spanish: capricho — An impulsive or illogical desire; a caprice
  • Russian: зага́дка (zagádka) — something vague