caprice stresses lack of apparent motivation and suggests willfulness.
by sheer caprice she quit her job
whim implies a fantastic, capricious turn of mind or inclination.
an odd antique that was bought on a whim
vagary stresses the erratic, irresponsible character of the notion or desire.
he had been prone to strange vagaries
crotchet implies an eccentric opinion or preference.
a serious scientist equally known for his bizarre crotchets
Example Sentences
her one crotchet is a fondness for eating cookies while soaking in the tub
Recent Examples on the WebIt’s also even in more mundane ways, in cross-stitch, in crotchet and quilting, creating beauty literally from the scraps on the margins. Robin Rose Parker, Washington Post, 12 July 2022 The origins of brackets — once referred to as crotchets, crooks, or hooks — are a mystery. Sarah Fay, Longreads, 17 Mar. 2020 Among his other crotchets was an aversion to bare canvas. Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 7 May 2018 Maxine attended to his every whim and crotchet, never lost faith in his brilliance or potential, and delighted in surrounding him with exactly the sort of frivolous company his wife abhorred. Sadie Stein, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2017
Word History
Etymology
Middle English crochet, from Anglo-French crochet, croket — more at crocket