volatility

/ˌvɒləˈtɪləti/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌvɑːləˈtɪləti/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌvä-lə-ˈti-lə-tē/ (ame, mw)

volatility — 名詞

1. The tendency of financial markets, prices, or economic conditions to change sudd

1.名詞B2
釋義

波動性

價格或市場突然變化的特性

The tendency of financial markets, prices, or economic conditions to change suddenly and unpredictably, often in a way that creates risk or instability.

例句

The volatility of oil prices made it hard for airlines to plan their budgets.

油價的波動性使得航空公司很難規劃預算。

collocation: volatility of [commodity]

Investors worried about the volatility in the stock market after the election results came in.

選舉結果出爐後，投資人對股市的波動性感到擔憂。

同義詞
  • instability

    Broader term; can apply to any unstable state, not just markets

  • unpredictability

    Focuses on the inability to forecast, with less emphasis on risk

  • fluctuation

    Describes regular up-and-down movement rather than sudden dramatic change

反義詞
  • stability

    The state of being steady and unlikely to change

  • steadiness

    Implies consistent, reliable behaviour over time

文法句型

volatility + of + noun phrase

adjective + volatility

用法筆記

Commonly modified by 'market', 'price', 'economic', or 'political'. Often appears in phrases like 'increase in volatility', 'period of volatility', 'high/low volatility'. The adjective 'volatile' is more frequent in everyday speech than the noun form.

常見錯誤

❌The volatility of the weather surprised us.
✅The unpredictability of the weather surprised us.
💡'volatility' in this sense is primarily used for financial and economic contexts, not for general weather patterns.
❌There was high volatility in his weight this year.
✅There was a lot of fluctuation in his weight this year.
💡'volatility' suggests sudden, risky change; 'fluctuation' is better for regular up-and-down movement.

2. The tendency of a person to become angry, upset, or excited very quickly and wit

2.名詞B2
釋義

易怒性

情緒容易突然激動的傾向

The tendency of a person to become angry, upset, or excited very quickly and without warning, making their moods hard to predict.

例句

Nila could not predict her brother's moods because of his emotional volatility.

Nila 因為哥哥的情緒波動性而無法預測他的心情好壞。

collocation: emotional volatility

The coach warned that Selim's temper volatility could hurt their chances of winning the match.

教練警告隊員們，Selim 容易動怒的脾氣可能會影響他們贏得比賽的機會。

collocation: temper volatility

同義詞
  • moodiness

    Less intense; describes frequent mood changes without necessarily involving anger

  • irritability

    Focuses on getting annoyed easily, but may not involve sudden outbursts

  • explosiveness

    Similar intensity, emphasizes the sudden and forceful nature of the reaction

反義詞
  • calmness

    The state of being relaxed and not easily upset

  • composure

    The ability to stay in control of one's emotions

文法句型

possessive + volatility

emotional / temper volatility

用法筆記

Subject is typically a person or a person's mood, temper, or behaviour. 'Emotional volatility' and 'temper volatility' are the most common collocations. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 refers specifically to sudden anger or mood changes in people, not general market or price instability.

常見錯誤

❌His volatility made him a great leader.
✅His volatility made it hard for the team to trust his decisions.
💡'volatility' in this sense has a strongly negative connotation; it is rarely used positively.
❌The volatility of the political situation made everyone nervous.
✅The instability of the political situation made everyone nervous.
💡Use sense 1 (PRICES / MARKETS) for economic or political situations; sense 2 is reserved for people's emotions and temper.

3. The quality of a substance that makes it turn into vapour quickly when exposed t

3.名詞C1
釋義

揮發性

物質容易變成氣體的性質

The quality of a substance that makes it turn into vapour quickly when exposed to only a small amount of heat.

例句

The high volatility of gasoline means it can catch fire easily if not stored correctly.

汽油的高揮發性意味著如果儲存不當，很容易起火燃燒。

collocation: high volatility

Wren compared the volatility of ethanol and water in her chemistry lab report.

Wren 在她的化學實驗報告中比較了乙醇和水的揮發性。

同義詞
  • evaporability

    More general; refers to the ability to turn into vapour under normal conditions

  • vaporizability

    Technical term; emphasises the capacity to be turned into vapour

反義詞

文法句型

volatility + of + substance

high / low volatility

用法筆記

Subject is a chemical substance. Common in scientific and technical writing, especially in laboratory reports, safety data sheets, and chemistry textbooks. The adjective 'volatile' is used more often in everyday language for substances like perfume or fuel.