shaky

[ shey-kee ]

adjective

, shak·i·er, shak·i·est.

1. tending to shake or tremble.
2. trembling; tremulous.
3. liable to break down or give way; insecure; not to be depended upon:

   a shaky bridge.

4. wavering, as in allegiance:

   His loyalty, always shaky, was now nonexistent.

shaky

/ ˈʃeɪkɪ /

adjective

1. tending to shake or tremble
2. liable to prove defective; unreliable
3. uncertain or questionable

   your arguments are very shaky

Derived Forms

• ˈshakiness, noun
• ˈshakily, adverb

Other Words From

• shaki·ly adverb
• shaki·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of shaky¹

First recorded in 1695–1705; shake + -y ¹

Example Sentences

It was a logical notion but shaky science.

From Salon

McMahon’s ruling, based on a Supreme Court decision in an unrelated case, “could leave AI copyright claims on shaky ground,” wrote Los Angeles intellectual property lawyer Aaron Moss on his website.

From Los Angeles Times

The video of Premier League referee David Coote’s alleged expletive-laden insults about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp carries ramifications far wider than abusive words used on shaky mobile phone footage.

From BBC

Journalists had discovered that Bankman-Fried's company was financially shaky and had been illegally transferring FTX customer funds to prop up his other company, Alameda Research.

From BBC

The president-elect was convicted in May of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a plot to cover up a hush-money payment to an adult film star, with his sentencing originally scheduled for mid-July at the conclusion of a trial characterized by gag order violations, attacks on uninvolved parties and shaky defense.

From Salon

Related Words

• insecure
• jittery
• nervous
• precarious
• rickety
• rocky
• unsettled
• unstable
• unsteady
• weak
• wobbly