rickety

[ rik-i-tee ]
See synonyms for: ricketyricketiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,rick·et·i·er, rick·et·i·est.
  1. likely to fall or collapse; shaky: a rickety chair.

  2. feeble in the joints; tottering; infirm: a rickety old man.

  1. old, dilapidated, or in disrepair.

  2. irregular, as motion or action.

  3. affected with or having rickets.

  4. relating to or of the nature of rickets.

Origin of rickety

1
First recorded in 1675–85; ricket(s) + -y1

Other words for rickety

Other words from rickety

  • rick·et·i·ness, noun

Words Nearby rickety

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use rickety in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rickety

rickety

/ (ˈrɪkɪtɪ) /


adjective
  1. (of a structure, piece of furniture, etc) likely to collapse or break; shaky

  2. feeble with age or illness; infirm

  1. relating to, resembling, or afflicted with rickets

Origin of rickety

1
C17: from rickets

Derived forms of rickety

  • ricketiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012