unsteady

[uhn-sted-ee]

See more synonyms for unsteady 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.

Origin of unsteady

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

Related formsun·stead·i·ly, adverbun·stead·i·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. See unsettled. 2. vacillating, flickering.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for unsteadily

Historical Examples

“I think I will go up and call on William,” she said, unsteadily.
The Very Small Person
Annie Hamilton Donnell
He rose to his feet, so unsteadily that his chair fell over with a bang.
Mistress Wilding
Rafael Sabatini
He goes off unsteadily; then from out of the luminous mists there appears the Jam-wagon.
The Trail of '98
Robert W. Service
He found himself able to rise and his legs carried him unsteadily to the door.
Erik Dorn
Ben Hecht
"It is not the prize that we wish," returned Madge unsteadily.
Madge Morton's Secret
Amy D. V. Chalmers

British Dictionary definitions for unsteadily

unsteady

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 Formsunsteadily, 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

Word Origin and History for unsteadily

unsteady

adj.

1590s, from un- (1) "not" + steady (adj.). Cf. Old Frisian unstadich, German unstätig, Middle Dutch onstadich.

unsteady

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}unsteady

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for unsteadily

Historical Examples

“I think I will go up and call on William,” she said, unsteadily.

He rose to his feet, so unsteadily that his chair fell over with a bang.

He goes off unsteadily; then from out of the luminous mists there appears the Jam-wagon.

He found himself able to rise and his legs carried him unsteadily to the door.

"It is not the prize that we wish," returned Madge unsteadily.

unsteady

Word Origin and History for unsteadily

unsteady

adj.

Origin of unsteady