teeter

[ tee-ter ]

See synonyms for: teeter teetered teetering on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to move unsteadily.
to ride a seesaw; teetertotter.

verb (used with object)

to tip (something) up and down; move unsteadily.

noun

a seesaw motion; wobble.
a seesaw; teetertotter.

Origin of teeter

1835–45; variant of dial. titter,Middle English titeren<Old Norse titra tremble; cognate with German zittern to tremble, quiver

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use teeter in a sentence

Bigger than ever, the sport is at a crossroads, teetering between reverence for its healing past and fear of a pain-filled future.
A Millennium After Inventing the Game, the Iroquois Are Lacrosse’s New Superpower | Evin Demirel | July 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Ousted Ukraine President Yanukovych was teetering on the brink of joining EU.
PJ O’Rourke on Putin’s Crimea for Help | P. J. O’Rourke | March 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the animal is “teetering on the brink of extinction.”
Borana Joins the Fight to Save Kenya’s Rhinos…and Wants You to Help Too | Joanna Eede | February 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend) is still teetering on the edge of Carrie's personal life; perhaps he'll be her new paramour.
‘Homeland’ Finale Shocker: A Death in the Family | Andrew Romano | December 16, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
“The car was teetering back and forth,” later said FDNY Capt. James Ellson of Rescue 3.
Amazing Grace in the Bronx: Inside the Metro-North Train-Wreck Rescue | Michael Daly | December 2, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

Only his mind was under attack, only his mind was afraid, teetering on the edge of control.
The Dark Door | Alan Edward Nourse
With a malevolent expression on his face, his beady eyes gleaming with cruel intelligence, he began teetering.
Before Adam | Jack London
It was a town with a small stone church, from whose teetering cross one arm had been shot away.
The Code of the Mountains | Charles Neville Buck
The song stopped and Judge Priest stood in the opening, teetering a little on his heels.
The Escape of Mr. Trimm | Irvin S. Cobb
Peggy hung over them breathlessly, and saw in fancy eighteen balls of yellow down, teetering on toothpick legs.
Peggy Raymond's Vacation | Harriet L. (Harriet Lummis) Smith

British Dictionary definitions for teeter

teeter

/ (ˈtiːtə) /

verb

to move or cause to move unsteadily; wobble

noun, verb

another word for seesaw

Origin of teeter

C19: from Middle English titeren, related to Old Norse titra to tremble, Old High German zittarōn to shiver

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

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