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 unsteady 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 unsteady

Contemporary Examples

He discovered his friend—the worse for wear and unsteady on her feet—in the second-floor living room.
‘I Saved My Friend From Bill Cosby’
Lloyd Grove
December 3, 2014
You stand on an unsteady pontoon bridge spanning the Tigris River in a township called Adh Dhouloueya.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq
Nathan Bradley Bethea
August 31, 2014
Besides worrying about how the models would walk on the unsteady ground, audience members knew something magical would happen.
Phillip Lim's Force of Nature
Erin Cunningham
September 9, 2013

Historical Examples

As his hand neared the latch I could see in the dim light that his movements were unsteady.
The Underdog
F. Hopkinson Smith
The strain upon him had been so great that his nerves and brain were unsteady.
The Rock of Chickamauga
Joseph A. Altsheler
Blandois' hand was unsteady; but he laughed, and that would naturally shake it.
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
They were done with some very poor instrument, and hurriedly, with an unsteady hand.
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens
He looked down at his sister with glittering and unsteady eyes.
Roden's Corner
Henry Seton Merriman

British Dictionary definitions for unsteady

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 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

Examples from the Web for unsteady

Contemporary Examples

He discovered his friend—the worse for wear and unsteady on her feet—in the second-floor living room.

You stand on an unsteady pontoon bridge spanning the Tigris River in a township called Adh Dhouloueya.

Besides worrying about how the models would walk on the unsteady ground, audience members knew something magical would happen.

Historical Examples

As his hand neared the latch I could see in the dim light that his movements were unsteady.

The strain upon him had been so great that his nerves and brain were unsteady.

Blandois' hand was unsteady; but he laughed, and that would naturally shake it.

They were done with some very poor instrument, and hurriedly, with an unsteady hand.

He looked down at his sister with glittering and unsteady eyes.

unsteady

Word Origin and History for unsteady

adj.

Origin of unsteady