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Definitions

unsteady

[uhn-sted-ee] / ʌnˈstɛd i /
ADJECTIVE
shaky
Synonyms
STRONGEST
erratic groggy precarious rickety rocky unstable wobbly
WEAK
capricious changeable dizzy fickle fluctuating giddy inconstant quivery shifting teetering tippy unreliable unsettled unsound vacillating variable wabbly wavering wayward wiggly
Antonyms
STRONGEST
certain definite dependable stable steady strong sure

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.

Yet they have to correct for a yearslong decline in employer response rates to BLS surveys—which does not negate the data overall, but certainly makes preliminary calculations a bit more unsteady and speculative.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

So why haven’t these headlines done more to calm an unsteady global oil market?

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

Watson had appeared unsteady in the aftermath of the collision, failing in an initial attempt to stand from a kneeling position.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

In Guillermo Cienfuegos’ enlivening, if at times unsteady, production at A Noise Within, the role is played by Ann Noble, who forgoes the outdated hunchback but adopts a seething, slithering, perversely seductive aura of menace.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

Nelson bang-bang-banging on the back door got tangled up with my sleep, so that, even after I was awake, the next hours had the unsteady presence of a dream.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver