wobbly

¹ American  

[wob-lee] / ˈwɒb li /

Or wabbly

adjective

wobblier, wobbliest

1. shaky; unsteady.

---

Wobbly ² American  

[wob-lee] / ˈwɒb li /

noun

plural

Wobblies

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

---

wobbly ¹ British  

/ ˈwɒblɪ /

adjective

1. unsteady

2. trembling, shaking

---

noun

1. slang to become suddenly very agitated or angry

Wobbly ² British  

/ ˈwɒblɪ /

noun

1. a member of the Industrial Workers of the World

---

Other Word Forms

• wobbliness noun

Etymology

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

We don’t usually think of pastors as wobbly in their own faith, but doubt stalks them just as much as it does any ordinary human being.

From Los Angeles Times

At first, it just looks like a mass of scribbles, but then I make out the crooked, wobbly letters that spell Boo.

From Literature

It’s the wobbly one Babs sat on while she was showing me the space.

From Literature

We only have two wobbly chairs that came with the apartment, along with the two narrow beds we sleep on.

From Literature

Its editorial says the last thing the country needs is a wobbly government, and it hopes the two men can work together.

From BBC

Related Words

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