wobble
Americanverb (used without object)
-
wobbles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wobbled,
past participle, past
-
wobbling
present participle
-
to incline to one side and to the other alternately, as a wheel, top, or other rotating body when not properly balanced.
-
to move unsteadily from side to side.
The table wobbled on its uneven legs.
-
to show unsteadiness; tremble; quaver.
His voice wobbled.
-
to vacillate; waver.
verb (used with object)
-
wobbles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wobbled,
past participle, past
-
wobbling
present participle
noun
-
wobbles
plural
verb
-
(intr) to move, rock, or sway unsteadily
-
(intr) to tremble or shake
her voice wobbled with emotion
-
(intr) to vacillate with indecision
-
(tr) to cause to wobble
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
wobblesimple
-
wobblessimple
-
have wobbledperfect
-
has wobbledperfect
-
am wobblingprogressive
-
are wobblingprogressive
-
is wobblingprogressive
-
have been wobblingperfect progressive
-
has been wobblingperfect progressive
Past
-
wobbledsimple
-
had wobbledperfect
-
was wobblingprogressive
-
were wobblingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
U.S. stock futures fell and Treasury yields rose in early European trade, as rising oil prices and a fresh artificial-intelligence wobble combined to weigh on sentiment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
When AI begins to wobble, investors have tended to shift money into other corners of the market, helping mitigate losses in the S&P 500.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Small variations in magnetic field strength cause the structure to produce a subtle "wobble," potentially allowing an organism to extract detailed information about its geographic position.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
Whatever he has wanted the ball to do – to swing in or out or to wobble off the seam – it has done.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
She saw it wobble, then it tilted, then it toppled right over and fell with a tinkle on to the table-top not twelve inches from Miss Honey's folded arms.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
This describes a phenomenon where a star wobbles back and forth, indicating a massive companion object is orbiting.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
When the national mood wobbles, we turn to the arts, which have the power to free buried desires, soothe souls and cross divides.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
The upcoming SpaceX IPO is currently creating wobbles for other equities, Thomas Lee, managing partner and head of research at the New York-based boutique firm, wrote in a note on Tuesday.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026
Blindsides are mainstays in films like this, just as in life, and tend to be followed by emotional fractures or wobbles of faith.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
My right foot wobbles a bit, but my hands fan out like a swan ready to soar, preventing my would-be fall.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
That trend can be seen in recent demand for more expensive $1 million homes, while the rest of the housing market has wobbled.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
"Her vocals wobbled dangerously, as if about to crack or collapse. But she was gaining confidence with every moment back on stage."
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Stock futures wobbled at the start of trading and then rose on Sunday, and oil rose, too, amid concerns that strikes between Iran and U.S. forces could disrupt a fragile cease fire.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
Another woman’s voice wobbled as she described working in a healthcare facility in Santa Monica, where they could see the blaze last year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Jack’s head hurt and his legs wobbled, but he staggered to the tiller.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
Their tactics in the field collapsed in the face of Razaullah's assault on Friday, then their batting was wobbling on Saturday morning.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Softening rather than stiffening when moving through space requires embracing your body’s natural sway and tiny micro-movements, like an ankle wobbling or knee jiggling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
If a wobbling stock market were to threaten companies like OpenAI, Wallerstein said he believes the federal government could ride to the rescue.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
As the wobbling disk periodically blocks and reflects light from the magnetar, the system behaves like a flashing cosmic lighthouse.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
It takes several tries, but I manage a few steps without wobbling, and then a lope.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
