definitions

rickety

[ rik-i-tee ]
/ ˈrɪk ɪ ti /
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SEE MORE 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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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

rickettsia tsutsugamushi, rickettsial, rickettsial disease, rickettsialpox, rickettsiosis, rickety, rickey, rickle, rickover, rickrack, rickshaw

Origin of rickety

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

Related forms

rick·et·i·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples 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

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