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Synonyms

wobble

American  
[wob-uhl] / ˈwɒb əl /

verb (used without object)

wobbled, wobbling
  1. to incline to one side and to the other alternately, as a wheel, top, or other rotating body when not properly balanced.

  2. to move unsteadily from side to side.

    The table wobbled on its uneven legs.

  3. to show unsteadiness; tremble; quaver.

    His voice wobbled.

  4. to vacillate; waver.


verb (used with object)

wobbled, wobbling
  1. to cause to wobble.

noun

  1. a wobbling movement.

wobble British  
/ ˈwɒbəl /

verb

  1. (intr) to move, rock, or sway unsteadily

  2. (intr) to tremble or shake

    her voice wobbled with emotion

  3. (intr) to vacillate with indecision

  4. (tr) to cause to wobble

"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

noun

  1. a wobbling movement, motion, or sound

"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

Other Word Forms

  • wobbler noun

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

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.

"Probably on reflection I could have used swing more to set up the wobble seam, which might have just gone straight on rather than nipping," Potts says.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Banks’ exposure to private credit caused stocks to wobble in February.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Lense-Thirring precession is not the only process that could cause a disk to wobble.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

“If alliances wobble, we control our own pipes,” he believes is the continent’s thinking.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 2, 2026

She watched her tower wobble more and more and more and more!

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore