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

Ms. Waller-Bridge was almost as funny as Jean Smart in “Hacks,” which lost the Emmy to Seth Rogen’s wobbly vehicle “The Studio,” another example of the industry stroking itself.

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Like Reid, she argues that AI investment will be supportive for stocks, as well as the broader economy, even if consumer spending and the labor market are wobbly.

Read more on Barron's

We’ve mentioned umpteen times that unless something is done, Social Security’s wobbly Trust Fund — paid by workers and their employers — could run out as soon as 2032.

Read more on MarketWatch

Slipping home prices, a wobbly job market and economic uncertainty have left some customers on the sidelines, executives said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This isn’t like last season, when KC was wobbly but somehow Mr. Magoo’d itself to 15-2 and the No. 1 seed.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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