wobbly

¹

or wab·bly

[ wob-lee ]

adjective

, wob·bli·er, wob·bli·est.

1. shaky; unsteady.

Wobbly

²

[ wob-lee ]

noun

, plural Wob·blies.

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

wobbly

¹

/ ˈwɒblɪ /

adjective

1. unsteady
2. trembling, shaking

noun

1. throw a wobbly slang.
   to become suddenly very agitated or angry

Wobbly

²

/ ˈwɒblɪ /

noun

1. a member of the Industrial Workers of the World

Derived Forms

• ˈwobbliness, noun

Other Words From

• wobbli·ness 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

Wobbly and waspish from booze, she makes a toast: “To Franklin Shepard, the producer. The man who has everything. And fat, drunk and finished, I would rather be me any day.”

From Los Angeles Times

A statewide dragnet for organizers from the Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies, ensued, followed by hundreds of arrests.

From Los Angeles Times

Wobbly China recovery after the country put an end to its “zero-COVID” policy has also prevented demand from rebounding quickly.

From Reuters

The IWW, the International Workers of the World, the “Wobblies,” was the most aggressive and radical of the unions operating in the late 19th and early 20th century.

From Los Angeles Times

When they made their feelings known, the management called police to report that a bunch of “Wobblies” — members of the activist IWW union — were making trouble.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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