shaky

[shey-kee]

See more synonyms for shaky on Thesaurus.com

adjective, shak·i·er, shak·i·est.

tending to shake or tremble.
trembling; tremulous.
liable to break down or give way; insecure; not to be depended upon: a shaky bridge.

wavering, as in allegiance: His loyalty, always shaky, was now nonexistent.

Origin of shaky

First recorded in 1695–1705; shake + -y¹

Related formsshak·i·ly, adverbshak·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for shaky

Contemporary Examples

Never mind that some of the atmospherics are shaky, like the white Christmas, for example.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas
Clive Irving
December 22, 2014
And even The Lancet and Nature publish their share of shaky studies.
How to Tell When a Scientific Study Is Total B.S.
Russell Saunders
August 22, 2014
Its addictive “sidebar of shame” catalogues every celebrity roll of fat, fashion faux pas, and shaky early-morning nightclub exit.
Hollywood vs. The Daily Mail: George Clooney and Angelina Jolie Take On The UK's Leanest, Meanest Gossip Machine
Lizzie Crocker, Lloyd Grove
July 12, 2014
Law enforcement officials started with the proposition that Cope was guilty because of his shaky “confessions.”
The Supreme Court Must Right the Wrong Done to Billy Wayne Cope
Andrew Cohen
June 19, 2014
After his shaky hosting—sorry gays—Hugh Jackman is indubitably straight.
Hugh Jackman's Tony Jumping Fail, Plus the Winners and Standout Moments of Broadway's Biggest Night
Tim Teeman
June 9, 2014

Historical Examples

Now the man had an old grandfather at home, who was weak and shaky.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various
Shaky was on his feet in an instant, and his anger was blazing in his fierce eyes.
The Night Riders
Ridgwell Cullum
He weighed the stories he had heard from Shaky, and picked them threadbare.
The Night Riders
Ridgwell Cullum
She found it very hard to speak and, when she did do so, her voice was shaky.
Galusha the Magnificent
Joseph C. Lincoln
It is so shaky nowadays that I can scarcely decipher some of it.
The Eternal City
Hall Caine

British Dictionary definitions for shaky

shaky

adjective shakier or shakiest

tending to shake or tremble
liable to prove defective; unreliable
uncertain or questionableyour arguments are very shaky

Derived Formsshakily, adverbshakiness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for shaky

adj.

1840, of handwriting; 1841 of persons, horses, and credit; 1850 of structures; from shake (v.) + -y (2). General sense of "uncertain, of questionable integrity" is from 1834. Earliest of trees or logs, "split, having fissures" (1808). Related: Shakily; shakiness.

shaky

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}shaky

Related Words

Examples from the Web for shaky

Contemporary Examples

Never mind that some of the atmospherics are shaky, like the white Christmas, for example.

And even The Lancet and Nature publish their share of shaky studies.

Its addictive “sidebar of shame” catalogues every celebrity roll of fat, fashion faux pas, and shaky early-morning nightclub exit.

Law enforcement officials started with the proposition that Cope was guilty because of his shaky “confessions.”

After his shaky hosting—sorry gays—Hugh Jackman is indubitably straight.

Historical Examples

Now the man had an old grandfather at home, who was weak and shaky.

Shaky was on his feet in an instant, and his anger was blazing in his fierce eyes.

He weighed the stories he had heard from Shaky, and picked them threadbare.

She found it very hard to speak and, when she did do so, her voice was shaky.

It is so shaky nowadays that I can scarcely decipher some of it.

shaky

Word Origin and History for shaky

adj.

Origin of shaky