wobbly

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈwɑbli/ UK /ˈwɒbli/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
tending to move unsteadily from side to side; shaky

The toddler took a few wobbly steps toward the sofa.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · tending to move unsteadily... shaky unsteady unstable rickety totteringteeteringprecarious

Opposites

steady stable firm solid secure

Word family

Derived forms wobbliness

Related forms wobble waver

Appears in

Idioms (1)

See all

throw a wobbly
to have a sudden angry or distressed outburst and lose self-control

Etymology

From wobble + -y; wobble is probably of Low German origin, related to Middle Low German wabbeln ('to sway, totter') and ultimately to the same root as wave.

wabbeln Middle Low German

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# wobbly

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈwɑbli/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈwɒbli/

## Meanings
1. tending to move unsteadily from side to side; shaky

## Examples
- The toddler took a few wobbly steps toward the sofa.

## Synonyms
- shaky
- unsteady
- unstable
- rickety
- tottering
- teetering
- precarious

## Antonyms
- steady
- stable
- firm
- solid
- secure

## Derived Forms
- wobbliness

## Related Forms
- wobble
- waver

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: wabbeln

## Etymology
From wobble + -y; wobble is probably of Low German origin, related to Middle Low German wabbeln ('to sway, totter') and ultimately to the same root as wave.

## AI Etymology
Wobbly is from wobble + -y; wobble is probably of Low German origin, related to Middle Low German wabbeln ('to sway, totter') and ultimately to the same root as wave. Important recorded forms include wabbeln (Middle Low German). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers tending to move unsteadily from side to side; shaky. The wider family includes derived forms such as wobbliness and related words such as wobble and waver.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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