wobble
Americanverb (used without object)
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to incline to one side and to the other alternately, as a wheel, top, or other rotating body when not properly balanced.
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to move unsteadily from side to side.
The table wobbled on its uneven legs.
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to show unsteadiness; tremble; quaver.
His voice wobbled.
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to vacillate; waver.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
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(intr) to move, rock, or sway unsteadily
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(intr) to tremble or shake
her voice wobbled with emotion
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(intr) to vacillate with indecision
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(tr) to cause to wobble
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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wobblesimple
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wobblessimple
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have wobbledperfect
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has wobbledperfect
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am wobblingprogressive
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are wobblingprogressive
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is wobblingprogressive
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have been wobblingperfect progressive
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has been wobblingperfect progressive
Past
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wobbledsimple
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had wobbledperfect
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was wobblingprogressive
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were wobblingprogressive
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had been wobblingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wobble
1650–60; < Low German wabbeln; akin to Old Norse vafla to toddle, Middle High German wabelen to waver, Old English wæflian to speak incoherently
Explanation
When things wobble, they teeter or rock unsteadily back and forth. A brand new bike rider is bound to wobble a little bit when she's pedaling down the street. A cafe table might wobble annoyingly until you prop up one leg with folded paper. And, when you first step off an amusement park ride, your legs might wobble for a while. Your voice can wobble too, or tremble, especially when you're upset or nervous. People wobble figuratively too: "When politicians wobble on important issues, it's hard to trust them."
Vocabulary lists containing wobble
Lesson 1
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 9
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Night Owls
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Remember when we all believed that the market would be in dire straits if the megacap tech stocks had a wobble?
From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026
Repetitive as his jokes get, he’s terrific when his battery runs low, forcing him to wobble hungover-like through a kitchen before plopping face-first in a dog bowl.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
Chip stocks suffered a wobble, and investors had better hope that’s all it is.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
England's late wobble comes with the caveat of the confusion caused by Sciver-Brunt's retirement.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
I put down my kale and lean against the counter, causing the sugar canister to wobble.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
