shaky
Americanadjective
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tending to shake or tremble.
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trembling; tremulous.
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liable to break down or give way; insecure; not to be depended upon.
a shaky bridge.
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wavering, as in allegiance.
His loyalty, always shaky, was now nonexistent.
adjective
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tending to shake or tremble
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liable to prove defective; unreliable
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uncertain or questionable
your arguments are very shaky
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of shaky
Explanation
Something shaky is trembling — or just feels like it. When we're not confident, we feel shaky. Being shaky is something that happens to us all. The first day of a job or class can make anyone feel shaky — even the teacher or boss. When you get extremely nervous, your hands might literally shake. That's not fun, but it might help you remember what shaky means. A building in an earthquake and a tree in the wind can also be shaky. One person we hope is not shaky — in either way — is a surgeon.
Vocabulary lists containing shaky
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 3
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Feeling Faint: Synonyms for "Weak"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The talks in Washington were focused on the shaky ceasefire, which is set to expire on Sunday if an extension is not agreed.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Goldman Sachs expects S&P 500 share buybacks to grow only 3% this year, as a shaky economic backdrop and AI cost pressures force spending reconsiderations.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
From the start, Slegers' defence looked shaky as the French side peppered their goal with chances.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
Even then, Musk’s core argument that OpenAI “betrayed the mission” is legally shaky.
From Slate • Apr. 30, 2026
She’d complimented my first shaky stitch and made me feel like I did belong here, no matter how long it took me to get through the forest path or how many verb charts I needed.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
