English vocabulary · C1
Erratic
/ɪˈræt̬.ɪk/ · adj., n.
Erratic means changing in a way you cannot know before it happens. It may move one way, then suddenly go another way.
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Example sentences
- Erratic driving scared me.
- Her heartbeat became erratic again.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- err — wander (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- RANDOM — without a plan (No Set Order)
- WILD — not easy to control (Hard To Control)
- UNSTABLE — not likely to stay (May Change Fast)
Words with the same root
err — wander
- error — a mistake
- err — make a mistake
- errant — off the right path
Lesson notes
Erratic means changing in a way you cannot know before it happens. It may move one way, then suddenly go another way.
Related: random, wild, unstable. Use erratic when changes surprise you.
Erratic driving scared me. Her heartbeat became erratic again.
From Latin. Err- means wander. To wander with no clear set path or plan is erratic.