unstable

[uhn-stey-buhl] / ʌnˈsteɪ bəl /

ADJECTIVE

doubtful

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ambiguous changeable erratic fickle insecure irrational precarious risky rocky sensitive shaky slippery ticklish tricky uncertain unpredictable unsettled unsteady volatile weak wobbly

WEAK

borderline capricious dizzy dubious fitful fluctuating giddy inconsistent inconstant lubricious mercurial mobile movable moving mutable not fixed rickety shifty suspect teetering temperamental untrustworthy vacillating variable wavering weaving wiggly

Antonyms

STRONGEST

certain clear confident constant definite dependable easy firm guarded happy predictable protected reliable safe secure sound stable steady strong sure unchanging unshaky

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.

"What makes my American dream precarious is that the city is extremely expensive and visas are highly unstable," he said.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

"Overall I can see a decrease in the flow of clients due to the unstable financial situation," she told AFP.

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

With Syria transformed by war, Lebanon unstable, and Armenia an ancestral homeland in which neither she nor her parents had ever lived, the move left her without an obvious place to return to.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026

“The only way to guarantee that there will not be bubbles is to have an unstable, highly inflationary monetary policy,” Greenspan said in a 2013 interview with a Fed staffer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

Nixon wanted to know how such an unstable character had gotten hold of McNamara’s study in the first place.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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