volatile

Word family

Related topics: Chemistry

1 CHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENTa volatile situation is likely to change suddenly and without warning 易变的，动荡不定的 OPP stable

an increasingly volatile political situation

日益动荡的政治局势

the highly volatile stock and bond markets

相当不稳定的股票和债券市场

2. ANGRYsomeone who is volatile can suddenly become angry or violent 易激动的；易发作的；易怒的

3. HC technical a volatile liquid or substance changes easily into a gas 易挥发的 OPP stable

—volatility /ˌvɒləˈtɪləti $ ˌvɑː-/ noun [uncountableU]

Examples from the Corpus

volatile• The political situation in the Balkans is still extremely volatile.• Churn makes it harder for charities to raise money, keeps real-estate prices in check and politics volatile.• Politics in Britain has become volatile.• As the vapours rise in the column through each successive equilibrium, they become richer in the more volatile component.• People are afraid to change jobs in today's volatile economy.• And abortion is a very volatile, emotional issue.• A high turnover may well have been justified in view of volatile markets.• She formed enduring friendships with women and more intense, volatile ones with men.• With markets so volatile, small investors are turning from do-it-yourself trading in search of greater interaction and guidance from brokers.

highly volatile• As a consequence, fertility has been highly volatile.• Long-term trends suggest that economic optimism was highly volatile.• Thus the L curve can be highly volatile.• This is partly because changes in institutional stockholding can make markets highly volatile and therefore risky for smaller investors.• It is highly volatile, and through its impact on productivity affects both supply and demand sides of the economy.• Weekly unemployment claims are a highly volatile indicator and prove little by themselves.• High-tech stocks have always been highly volatile, partly because of their past booms and busts.

From Longman Business Dictionary

volatilevol·a·tile /ˈvɒlətaɪlˈvɑːlətl/ adjectiveadj

a volatile market, situation etc is changing quickly and suddenly, for example rising and falling without much warning

Bonds started the year in a highly volatile trading environment.

—volatility noun [uncountableU]

The report questioned whether market volatility should be blamed on foreign investors.

Origin volatile

(1500-1600) French Latin volatilis, from volare “to fly”

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