wobbly

¹

or wab·bly

[ wob-lee ]

adjective

, wob·bli·er, wob·bli·est.

1. shaky; unsteady.

Wobbly

²

[ wob-lee ]

noun

, plural Wob·blies.

1. a member of the Industrial Workers of the World.

Wobbly

¹

/ ˈwɒblɪ /

noun

1. a member of the Industrial Workers of the World

wobbly

²

/ ˈwɒblɪ /

adjective

1. unsteady
2. trembling, shaking

noun

1. throw a wobbly slang.
   throw a wobbly to become suddenly very agitated or angry

Derived Forms

• ˈwobbliness, noun

Other Words From

• wobbli·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wobbly¹

First recorded in 1850–55; wobble + -y ¹

Origin of wobbly²

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

At times he was wobbly about whether he really had enough sources to support what his instinct told him was the truth.

From The Daily Beast

That month, he was one of just 23 House members to vote against a $1 billion aid package to the wobbly Ukrainian government.

From The Daily Beast

He even took a few wobbly first steps (with a little assistance from his mum, of course).

From The Daily Beast

And housing, while still a bit wobbly, is definitively back.

From The Daily Beast

But he delivered his remarks in the same low-affect, wobbly-voiced delivery to which Fed watchers have become accustomed.

From The Daily Beast

The strong light at the back of the house—a wobbly one—was rapidly becoming a glow in the heavens, as they say in journalese.

From Project Gutenberg

Nagpirigpirig siya sa hagdan nga nagkurugkurug, He was walking gingerly on the wobbly steps.

From Project Gutenberg

It was rather wobbly, but a bit of wood was put under the faulty leg, and it did very well.

From Project Gutenberg

His poor legs and feet got so terribly wobbly that he was afraid he'd fall down or something and couldn't finish his delivery.

From Project Gutenberg

The front lawn had been turned into a circus ring by means of a low, rather wobbly circular railing.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• insecure
• precarious
• rickety
• unbalanced
• uneven
• unstable
• unsteady
• weak