teeter
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to move unsteadily.
-
to ride a seesaw; teetertotter.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a seesaw motion; wobble.
-
a seesaw; teetertotter.
verb
noun
Etymology
Origin of teeter
1835–45; variant of dial. titter, Middle English titeren < Old Norse titra tremble; cognate with German zittern to tremble, quiver
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.
Clare, however, felt only a cold rush—his monocle teetering ever so slightly.
From Literature
Nearly a month into the Middle East war, Lebanon is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis that now risks teetering over into a catastrophe, the United Nations refugee agency warned Friday.
From Barron's
See more: Stocks are teetering on the edge of correction territory.
From MarketWatch
This opening by Havana, a serious breach in the island's anti-capitalist system, comes as the Cuban economy teeters on the brink of collapse.
From Barron's
Instead, Japan’s economy is teetering on the edge of recession.
From Barron's
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.
