rubber-legged

American  

[ruhb-er-leg-id, -legd] / ˈrʌb ərˌlɛg ɪd, -ˌlɛgd /

adjective

1. unsteady and weak on one's feet, as from exhaustion, fright, or intoxication.

   At mile 22, the hiker complained of feeling dehydrated and rubber-legged.

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Etymology

Origin of rubber-legged

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

But last June he was rubber-legged and dry heaving in 95-degree heat when he bowed out of the 37-mile Rachel Carson Trail Challenge outside Pittsburgh.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 27, 2025

Dancing: To master Elvis’ rubber-legged wiggles and wobbles, Butler worked with British movement coach Polly Bennett, who also trained Malik for “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2022

I walked upstream, where the river deepened and slowed, and tied on a fat, rubber-legged stimulator with a tomato-red belly.

From New York Times • Aug. 22, 2012

They ran themselves rubber-legged, but a combination of Bradley poise and inept officiating left Bradley ahead at the half, 43-51.

From Time Magazine Archive

It is common for aspiring jockeys to be so rubber-legged upon dismounting from their first circuit around the track that they are unable to walk back to the barn.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand