unsteady

[ uhn-sted-ee ]

/ ʌnˈstɛd i /

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See synonyms for: unsteady / unsteadied / unsteadier / unsteadiest on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not steady or firm; unstable; shaky: an unsteady hand.

fluctuating or wavering: an unsteady flame; unsteady prices.

irregular or uneven: an unsteady development.

verb (used with object), un·stead·ied, un·stead·y·ing.

to make unsteady.

OTHER WORDS FOR unsteady

2 vacillating, flickering.

See synonyms for unsteady on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of unsteady

First recorded in 1525–35; un-¹ + steady

synonym study for unsteady

1. See unsettled.

OTHER WORDS FROM unsteady

un·stead·i·ly, adverbun·stead·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use unsteady in a sentence

After his 2017 surgery left him unsteady and in pain, BJ was able to secure full-time care.
He Has a Developmental Disability and Needs a Caretaker. The State Suggested Diapers Instead.|by Amy Silverman for Arizona Daily Star|November 6, 2020|ProPublica
She doesn’t use a wheelchair all the time, but her gait is unsteady and her depth perception is affected so she needs someone by her side at all times when she walks, Marianne said.
People with Developmental Disabilities Were Promised Help. Instead, They Face Delays and Denials.|by Amy Silverman for Arizona Daily Star, with data analysis by Alex Devoid, Arizona Daily Star|November 5, 2020|ProPublica
The third walks unsteadily, led by a grown-up holding his hand.
Magical Gardens for the Blind, Deaf, and Disabled|Elizabeth Picciuto|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The woman bent over unsteadily to grab her handbag from the street and slowly limped away.
When Everything Changed|Gayle Tzemach Lemmon|March 11, 2011|DAILY BEAST

They went a little unsteadily down the stone steps, a cold, damp air meeting them in the face, close and mal-odorous.
The Empty House And Other Ghost Stories|Algernon Blackwood
He returned unsteadily to his chair, and sat staring straight into the embers, his hands to his hot, fevered brow.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
Paul rose unsteadily to his feet, and took the count's hand.
Paul Patoff|F. Marion Crawford
As he rose unsteadily Kilmeny closed, threw him hard, and fell on top.
The Highgrader|William MacLeod Raine
He went on a little unsteadily, like a man who is not sure of his sight.
The Child of Pleasure|Gabriele D'Annunzio

British Dictionary definitions for unsteady

unsteady

/ (ʌnˈstɛdɪ) /

adjective

not securely fixedan unsteady foothold

(of behaviour, etc) lacking constancy; erratic

without regularityan unsteady rhythm

(of a manner of walking, etc) precarious, staggering, as from intoxication

verb -steadies, -steadying or -steadied

(tr) to make unsteady

Derived forms of unsteady

unsteadily, adverbunsteadiness, noun

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

unsteady

OTHER WORDS FOR unsteady

Origin of unsteady

synonym study for unsteady

OTHER WORDS FROM unsteady

Words related to unsteady

How to use unsteady in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unsteady

Derived forms of unsteady