rocky

¹ American  

[rok-ee] / ˈrɒk i /

adjective

rockier, rockiest

1. full of or abounding in rocks.

2. consisting of rock.

3. rocklike.

   wood with a rocky hardness.

4. firm; steadfast.

   rocky endurance.

5. unfeeling; without sympathy or emotion.

   my rocky heart.

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rocky ² American  

[rok-ee] / ˈrɒk i /

adjective

rockier, rockiest

1. inclined or likely to rock; tottering; shaky; unsteady.

2. difficult or uncertain; full of hazards or obstacles.

   a business with a rocky future.

3. physically unsteady or weak, as from sickness.

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rocky ¹ British  

/ ˈrɒkɪ /

adjective

1. consisting of or abounding in rocks

   a rocky shore

2. hard or unyielding

   rocky determination

3. hard like rock

   rocky muscles

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rocky ² British  

/ ˈrɒkɪ /

adjective

1. weak, shaky, or unstable

2. informal (of a person) dizzy; sickly; nauseated

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Other Word Forms

• rockily adverb
• rockiness noun

Etymology

Origin of rocky¹

First recorded in 1400–50; rock ¹ + -y ¹ ( def. )

Origin of rocky²

First recorded in 1730–40; rock ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

McCartney and Willis' proposed site is in an area at Roshven on a rocky headland called Commando Rock which historically was used for military training.

From BBC

Rattlesnakes like to hide in complex rocky outcrops, tall grass and squirrel burrows.

From Los Angeles Times

The water that poured out of the lake picked up stones, sand and other sediment as it flowed through the rocky mountain channels, triggering a series of landslides along the way.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ahead, the ground sloped into a rocky clearing at the riverbank.

From Literature

M dwarf stars are smaller, cooler, and dimmer than our Sun, yet most of them host at least one rocky planet about the size of Earth.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• shaky
• tricky
• unstable
• unsteady