shaky

[ shey-kee ]

/ ˈʃeɪ ki /

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.

Nearby words

shakspere, shakta, shakti, shaktism, shakuntala, shaky, shakyamuni, shalach manoth, shale, shale oil, shall

Origin of shaky

First recorded in 1695–1705; shake + -y¹

Related forms

shak·i·ly, adverbshak·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shaky

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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
The past week has been a shaky one, with earthquakes reported in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Wyoming, and Chile.
A Lot of Earthquakes Have Been Reported Lately, but Scientists Aren’t Worried|Erik Klemetti|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But even in 1939, the boot-centric view of warfare was on shaky ground.
America Doesn’t Need a Big Army Any More|Bill Sweetman|March 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They squeezed themselves, with a sigh of relief, onto a shaky flight of six narrow stairs before the breezes of an open window.
Just Patty|Jean Webster
The student should see that this is a sure foundation and not a tottering, shaky structure.
Illumination and its Development in the Present Day|Sidney Farnsworth
He wrote one line in shaky characters; then folded the leaf in two, and put it in George's hand.
Into the Highways and Hedges|F. F. Montrsor (Frances Frederica)
Now came the rebound, and with shaky nerves I had to face discovery and certain punishment.
Prester John|John Buchan
I couldn't spare time to strike a light, and my hands were too shaky for to do it.
Perlycross|R. D. Blackmore

British Dictionary definitions for shaky

shaky

/ (ˈʃeɪkɪ) /

adjective shakier or shakiest

tending to shake or tremble

liable to prove defective; unreliable

uncertain or questionableyour arguments are very shaky

Derived Forms

shakily, 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