Words at Play : Simple but Intelligent Word Choices
Definition:
likely to change in a very sudden or extreme way; having or showing extreme or sudden changes of emotion
Words It Might Replace:
unstable; emotional; unpredictable
Example:
"Prosecutors want to demonstrate that Bonds treated those around him in an abusive and hostile manner and that his volatile nature was also the result of steroid use." Christian Red, New York Daily News, March 17, 2011