List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 63

SYNONYMS: caprice, whim, whimsy, vagary, freak.
These nouns are compared as they denote an impulsive or unexpected notion.

Caprice strongly suggests lack of apparent motivation and can imply wanton and willful behavior: Without labor unions, a worker could be discharged at the caprice of any manager.
Whim and whimsy can both mean a quaint or fantastic idea, but whim more strongly suggests sudden inspiration, whimsy a playful or fanciful quality: That was no whim of the moment.
Vagary emphasizes the erratic and unpredictable, even irresponsible nature of a notion or an act: The vagaries of life sometimes can overwhelm any of us.
Freak is a sudden and seemingly motiveless turn of mind: The freaks of the psyche sometimes can not be explained.