shaky

American  

[shey-kee] / ˈʃeɪ ki /

adjective

shakier, shakiest

1. tending to shake or tremble.

2. trembling; tremulous.

3. liable to break down or give way; insecure; not to be depended upon.

   a shaky bridge.

4. wavering, as in allegiance.

   His loyalty, always shaky, was now nonexistent.

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shaky British  

/ ˈʃeɪkɪ /

adjective

1. tending to shake or tremble

2. liable to prove defective; unreliable

3. uncertain or questionable

   your arguments are very shaky

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• shakiness
  noun
• shakily
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of shaky

First recorded in 1695–1705; shake + -y ¹

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.

Related Words

• insecure
• jittery
• nervous
• precarious
• rickety
• rocky
• unsettled
• unstable
• unsteady
• weak
• wobbly