wobbly

¹

Or wab·bly

[wob-lee]

adjective

wobblier, wobbliest 

1. shaky; unsteady.

Wobbly

²

[wob-lee]

noun

plural

Wobblies 

1. a member of the Industrial Workers of the World.

wobbly

¹

/ ˈwɒblɪ /

adjective

1. unsteady

2. trembling, shaking

noun

1. slang,  to become suddenly very agitated or angry

Wobbly

²

/ ˈwɒblɪ /

noun

1. a member of the Industrial Workers of the World

Other Word Forms

• wobbliness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wobbly¹

First recorded in 1850–55; wobble + -y ¹

Origin of wobbly²

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

There would be the wobbly start as owner and club got acquainted, a few spins of the managerial merry-go-round, investment in the squad, improvement, promotion, consolidation, sale.

From BBC

Today, his home-run gait around the bases would be wobbly, and his right fist pumps would be shaky, and afterward he might need help in the locker room buttoning his shirt.

From Los Angeles Times

That star June Squibb’s warm, humorous and slightly spiky performance elevates the wobbly material and tentative direction.

From Los Angeles Times

But the picture was wobbly and the sound distorted.

From BBC

The colt was born while Hunter was driving home for a short break before fall camp, its spindly legs still wobbly in the pasture.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• insecure 
• precarious 
• rickety 
• unbalanced 
• uneven 
• unstable 
• unsteady 
• weak