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

Its acquisition would mark a short, rocky term of independence for Kenvue, which was spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She also aims to apply 3D eclipse mapping to smaller, rocky worlds beyond gas giants like WASP-18b.

Read more on Science Daily

Markets ended the week on a positive note, but don’t be fooled: Jitters are emerging below the surface, setting up a potentially rocky path for the rest of 2025 and next year.

Read more on Barron's

In the rocky terrain, she wore dirt and weeds.

Read more on Literature

The 77-year-old missed a bend on his bike on his way home from the supermarket on a lonely road in the mountainous Cevennes region, careening down a rocky slope and into the ravine near Saint-Julien-des-Points.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• shaky 
• tricky 
• unstable 
• unsteady