unstable
- not stable; not firm or firmly fixed; unsteady.
- liable to fall or sway.
- unsteadfast; inconstant; wavering: unstable convictions.
- marked by emotional instability: an unstable person.
- irregular in movement: an unstable heartbeat.
- Chemistry. noting compounds that readily decompose or change into other compounds.
Origin of unstable
Synonyms for unstable
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for unstable
tricky, ambiguous, uncertain, irrational, sensitive, unsettled, insecure, shaky, weak, precarious, rocky, unpredictable, fickle, volatile, wobbly, ticklish, slippery, changeable, unsteady, erraticExamples from the Web for unstable
Contemporary Examples of unstable
You lethargic, unfocused, unstable, lazy, hazy, crazy time of year.
The initial result was negative, but much of the area was still on fire and too unstable to search.
Erica is the foil to the unstable, decaying Beth—a kind, virtuous, smooth-skinned girl next door.
The value may be unstable, but it has trended mainly up and to the right, with crashes followed by climbs past the previous high.
We know that Dana is unstable, just based on her having tried to kill herself.
Historical Examples of unstable
All his weight was on one foot, and he was in a state of unstable equilibrium.
White FangJack London
Yes, indeed, yes; I know she's as unstable as water and as hard to hold as a puff of wind.
The ChristianHall Caine
Moral standards are as unstable as the shifting sands of the sea.
Sex=The Unknown QuantityAli Nomad
We can see here very clearly how unstable a thing polytheism is.
History of ReligionAllan Menzies
They are unstable, improvident, easily discouraged, easily led astray.
Impressions of South AfricaJames Bryce
unstable
- lacking stability, fixity, or firmness
- disposed to temperamental, emotional, or psychological variability
- (of a chemical compound) readily decomposing
- physics
- (of an elementary particle) having a very short lifetime
- spontaneously decomposing by nuclear decay; radioactivean unstable nuclide
- electronics (of an electrical circuit, mechanical body, etc) having a tendency to self-oscillation
Word Origin and History for unstable
unstable
- Liable to undergo spontaneous decay into some other form. For example, the nucleus of uranium 238 atom is unstable and changes by radioactive decay into the nucleus of thorium 234, a lighter element. Many subatomic particles, such as muons and neutrons, are unstable and decay quickly into other particles. See more at decay.
- Relating to a chemical compound that readily decomposes or changes into other compounds or into elements.
- Relating to an atom or chemical element that is likely to share electrons; reactive.
- Characterized by uncertain or inadequate response to treatment and the potential for unfavorable outcome, as the status of a medical condition or disease.