unstable

C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /ʌnˈsteɪbəl/ UK /ʌnˈsteɪbl/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
likely to change, fail, or collapse; not steady

The ladder felt unstable on the uneven ground.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · likely to change, fail, or... unsteady precarious shaky volatile wobbly insecure erratic

Opposites

stable steady firm secure constant

Word family

Derived forms unstablyunstableness

Related forms stable stability instability

Etymology

From un- ('not') + stable, from Old French estable, from Latin stabilis ('firm, steadfast'), from stare ('to stand').

un- Old English stare Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process Word Formation & Derivatives

# unstable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ʌnˈsteɪbəl
**IPA (UK):** ʌnˈsteɪbl

## Meanings
1. likely to change, fail, or collapse; not steady

## Examples
- The ladder felt unstable on the uneven ground.

## Synonyms
- unsteady
- precarious
- shaky
- volatile
- wobbly
- insecure
- erratic

## Antonyms
- stable
- steady
- firm
- secure
- constant

## Derived Forms
- unstably
- unstableness

## Related Forms
- stable
- stability
- instability

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: stare

## Etymology
From un- ('not') + stable, from Old French estable, from Latin stabilis ('firm, steadfast'), from stare ('to stand').

## AI Etymology
Unstable comes from un- ('not') + stable, from Old French estable, from Latin stabilis ('firm, steadfast'), from stare ('to stand'). The historical trail runs through Old English un- and Latin stare. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means likely to change, fail, or collapse; not steady. Derived formations include unstably, unstableness; related forms include stable, stability, instability.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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unstable

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