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rickety

[ rik-i-tee ]
/ ˈrɪk ɪ ti /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR rickety ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, rick·et·i·er, rick·et·i·est.

likely to fall or collapse; shaky: a rickety chair.
feeble in the joints; tottering; infirm: a rickety old man.
old, dilapidated, or in disrepair.
irregular, as motion or action.
affected with or suffering from rickets.
pertaining to or of the nature of rickets.

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Origin of rickety

First recorded in 1675–85; ricket(s) + -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM rickety

rick·et·i·ness, noun

Words nearby rickety

rickettsialpox, Rickettsia prowazekii, Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia tsutsugamushi, rickettsiosis, rickety, rickey, rickle, Rickover, rickrack, rickshaw
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to rickety

dilapidated, shaky, decrepit, broken, flimsy, wobbly, ramshackle, derelict, feeble, fragile, frail, imperfect, infirm, insecure, jerry-built, precarious, rattletrap, rocky, unsteady, wavering

Example sentences from the Web for rickety

British Dictionary definitions for rickety

rickety
/ (ˈrɪkɪtɪ) /

adjective

(of a structure, piece of furniture, etc) likely to collapse or break; shaky
feeble with age or illness; infirm
relating to, resembling, or afflicted with rickets

Derived forms of rickety

ricketiness, noun

Word Origin for rickety

C17: from rickets
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012