capriciously
capriciously — 副詞
1. Acting or changing without following any steady plan, so that other people are c
反覆無常地
行為或狀況突然無預警地變化
Acting or changing without following any steady plan, so that other people are caught off guard by each new direction.
Vikram spent his inheritance capriciously, buying a boat one week and selling it the next.
Vikram 反覆無常地揮霍他的遺產，這週買船，下週就賣掉。
pattern: spend + capriciously, showing opposite actions
The weather in early spring changes capriciously, with sunny mornings turning into snowy afternoons.
早春天氣變化無常，晴朗的早晨轉眼變成下雪的午後。
Tanvi's boss acted capriciously, giving her a promotion on Monday and then cancelling it on Wednesday.
Tanvi 的主管行事反覆無常，週一給她升職，週三又取消了。
Share prices swung capriciously all morning, climbing fast before lunch and dropping just as quickly after.
股價整個上午變幻莫測，午前急漲，午後又急速下跌。
- unpredictably
neutral, without the negative tone of wilfulness
- whimsically
more playful or light-hearted; capriciously has a critical edge
- erratically
focuses on lack of pattern; capriciously adds the sense of personal choice
- consistently
acting the same way each time
- steadily
changing in a smooth, planned manner
常見錯誤
capriciously — 形容詞
- capriciouslypositive
- more capriciouslycomparative
- most capriciouslysuperlative
1. Acting according to a sudden feeling or wish rather than careful thought, so tha
任性衝動
憑一時感覺而非理性做決定
Acting according to a sudden feeling or wish rather than careful thought, so that decisions lack a clear reason and often surprise other people.
Adaeze made a capricious decision to quit her job and fly to Japan the same night.
Adaeze 做出了一個任性的決定，當晚就辭職飛往日本。
capricious decision + sudden life change
The capricious toddler refused to eat his favourite meal simply because the plate had a scratch on it.
這個任性的幼兒拒絕吃他最喜歡的飯，只因為盤子上有道刮痕。
Hana's capricious approach to furniture buying meant she returned every item within a week.
Hana 買家具的態度很隨性，每件東西都在一週內退貨。
Heather regretted her capricious choice of wallpaper, which she had ordered on a whim at two in the morning.
Heather 後悔自己一時衝動選的壁紙，她是在凌晨兩點隨手下單的。
- measured
done with careful consideration
- deliberate
planned in advance
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person or a person's action (decision, choice, behaviour). Unlike sense 3, the focus here is on the whim itself rather than general instability.
常見錯誤
2. Based on personal preference rather than any fair or logical rule, so that the o
任意
憑個人偏好而非公平規則
Based on personal preference rather than any fair or logical rule, so that the outcome seems unreasonable to others.
The landlord's capricious rule let some tenants keep dogs while demanding others give theirs away.
房東的規定很隨意，允許某些房客養狗，卻要求其他房客把狗送走。
capricious rule + unequal treatment
Students complained that the grading was capricious, with no clear standard for what earned top marks.
學生們抱怨評分標準沒個準則，不清楚怎樣才能拿到高分。
Iker found the parking fines capricious — one day a spot was fine, the next day it was illegal.
Iker 覺得停車罰款很任意——同一個車位昨天可以停，今天就不行了。
Constanza argued that the entry fee was capricious because families with three children paid the same as single visitors.
Constanza 認為入場費的規定不合理，因為有三個孩子的家庭和單人訪客付一樣的錢。
- arbitrary
more neutral; capricious adds a sense of sudden, wilful change
- unreasonable
broader — includes any unfairness, not just whims
- groundless
focuses on lack of evidence or basis
- reasonable
based on good sense and fairness
- consistent
applying the same standard every time
用法筆記
Often describes rules, policies, or fees that seem to have no consistent basis. Common in complaints about institutions.
3. Tending to shift frequently and without warning, making the person, situation, o
善變
頻繁且突然地變化，難以依賴
Tending to shift frequently and without warning, making the person, situation, or thing hard to rely on.
Aylin's capricious moods made it hard for her colleagues to predict how she would react.
Aylin 的情緒反覆無常，同事們很難預測她的反應。
capricious mood + effect on others
The capricious spring weather kept switching between bitter cold and warm sunshine all week.
善變的春天氣候一整週都在嚴寒和溫暖之間來回切換。
Eitan found it exhausting to live with such a capricious flatmate who changed plans every hour.
Eitan 覺得和這麼善變的室友住在一起很累，對方每小時都在改變計劃。
Lakan's capricious taste in films meant his watchlist changed completely from Friday to Monday.
Lakan 對電影的喜好變化很快，他的片單從週五到週一就完全不一樣了。
- fickle
nearly identical; fickle is more common for people, capricious for behaviour
- unpredictable
broader, less negative
- volatile
more formal, often for markets or substances
- steady
not changing in an alarming way
- predictable
easy to anticipate
用法筆記
The most general of the adjective senses — applies to people, weather, markets, tastes. Unlike sense 1, the emphasis is on frequent change itself rather than the suddenness of each whim.
常見錯誤
4. Lacking a proper legal foundation or solid evidence, so that a decision or claim
無根據
缺乏法律依據或實質證據
Lacking a proper legal foundation or solid evidence, so that a decision or claim is seen as baseless under established rules.
The judge dismissed the lawsuit as capricious, since the plaintiff had offered no supporting documents.
法官以缺乏根據為由駁回了訴訟，因為原告沒有提供任何佐證文件。
dismiss a case as capricious + lack of evidence
An appeals court overturned the capricious ruling, calling it an abuse of judicial power.
上訴法院推翻了這項無根據的裁決，稱其為濫用司法權力。
Layla argued that the search warrant was capricious because the police had relied on a single unverified tip.
Layla 主張搜索令缺乏依據，因為警方僅憑一條未經查證的線報就申請了。
Rin's lawyer claimed the arbitration award was capricious and asked the court to set it aside.
Rin 的律師主張仲裁裁決缺乏根據，請求法院予以撤銷。
- baseless
broader — not limited to legal contexts
- groundless
focuses on lack of factual support
- unfounded
similar to groundless; common in legal writing
- well-founded
based on solid evidence or reasoning
- valid
legally acceptable and properly supported
用法筆記
A technical legal usage. Used to challenge court rulings, fines, warrants, or arbitration decisions. Not used for everyday complaints about unfairness.