totter

American  

[tot-er] / ˈtɒt ər /

verb (used without object)

1. to walk or go with faltering, unsteady steps.

   She tottered down the street in high heels, desperately fighting to stay vertical.

2. to sway or rock on the base or ground, as if about to fall.

   The tower seemed to totter in the wind.

   Synonyms:

   waver

3. to shake or tremble.

   a load that tottered.

   Synonyms:

   quiver, oscillate

4. to lack security or stability; threaten to collapse.

   The government was tottering.

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noun

1. the act of tottering; an unsteady movement or gait.

totter British  

/ ˈtɒtə /

verb

1. to walk or move in an unsteady manner, as from old age

2. to sway or shake as if about to fall

3. to be failing, unstable, or precarious

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noun

1. the act or an instance of tottering

Related Words

See stagger.

Other Word Forms

• totterer
  noun
• tottering
  adjective
• totteringly
  adverb
• tottery
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of totter

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English toteren “to swing”; origin uncertain

Explanation

If you spin yourself around until you are dizzy, you will likely totter if you try to step forward. Totter is a verb that means "move unsteadily, as though you are about to fall down." To totter is to move in a wobbly, unsteady manner. When a person totters, they look like they are going to fall down. In a boxing match, a boxer might totter after taking a blow to the head. During an earthquake, buildings may totter, or sway, appearing as though they may fall down. Totter can also imply a rocking motion; a playground seesaw, for instance, is sometimes called "a teeter-totter."

Example Sentences

Totter out of the Palais and proceed up the Croisette and one arrives at the films of the directors’ fortnight, an unruly Cannes strand that prides itself on punching well above its weight.

From The Guardian • May 18, 2019

Ms. Totter acted in touring plays and did radio work in Chicago and New York before moving to Hollywood.

From New York Times • Dec. 17, 2013

Audrey Mary Totter was born on Dec. 20, 1917, in Joliet, Ill. Her father, John, drove a streetcar.

From New York Times • Dec. 17, 2013

Totter along a bit further and you'll discover Priscalla at the Palace – where I once saw Olivier in the Entertainer – and Hairspray at the Shaftesbury.

From The Guardian • Mar. 16, 2010

Droop the sunflowers, heavy discs Totter to their fall.

From The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. VIII, No. 355, October 16, 1886 by Peters, Charles

Related Words

• careen
• lurch
• teeter
• wobble