rocky

¹

[rok-ee]

adjective

rockier, rockiest 

1. full of or abounding in rocks.

2. consisting of rock.

3. rocklike.

   wood with a rocky hardness.

4. firm; steadfast.

   rocky endurance.

5. unfeeling; without sympathy or emotion.

   my rocky heart.

rocky

²

[rok-ee]

adjective

rockier, rockiest 

1. inclined or likely to rock; tottering; shaky; unsteady.

2. difficult or uncertain; full of hazards or obstacles.

   a business with a rocky future.

3. physically unsteady or weak, as from sickness.

rocky

¹

/ ˈrɒkɪ /

adjective

1. consisting of or abounding in rocks

   a rocky shore

2. hard or unyielding

   rocky determination

3. hard like rock

   rocky muscles

rocky

²

/ ˈrɒkɪ /

adjective

1. weak, shaky, or unstable

2. informal,  (of a person) dizzy; sickly; nauseated

Other Word Forms

• rockiness noun
• rockily adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of rocky¹

First recorded in 1400–50; rock ¹ + -y ¹ ( def. )

Origin of rocky²

First recorded in 1730–40; rock ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

The planet lies in a relatively nearby part of the Milky Way Galaxy and appears to have a rocky structure similar to Earth.

Read more on Science Daily

It's the right time for them, but a rocky time for the show - following several controversies in recent years.

Read more on BBC

It has been a "very rocky transition" for the pageant's leadership, Dani Walker, an American beauty queen and pageant coach told the BBC.

Read more on BBC

So, too, are its rocky cliffs and vistas striped in shades of yellow, steel-blue and orange.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Over time, specks of dust collide and stick together, forming rocky pebbles.

Read more on Space Scoop

Related Words

• shaky 
• tricky 
• unstable 
• unsteady