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Synonyms

teeter

American  
[tee-ter] / ˈti tər /

verb (used without object)

  1. to move unsteadily.

  2. to ride a seesaw; teetertotter.

verb (used with object)

  1. to tip (something) up and down; move unsteadily.

noun

  1. a seesaw motion; wobble.

  2. a seesaw; teetertotter.

teeter British  
/ ˈtiːtə /

verb

  1. to move or cause to move unsteadily; wobble

"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

noun

  1. another word for seesaw

"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

Etymology

Origin of teeter

1835–45; variant of dial. titter, Middle English titeren < Old Norse titra tremble; cognate with German zittern to tremble, quiver

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Clare, however, felt only a cold rush—his monocle teetering ever so slightly.

From Literature

Nearly a month into the Middle East war, Lebanon is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis that now risks teetering over into a catastrophe, the United Nations refugee agency warned Friday.

From Barron's

See more: Stocks are teetering on the edge of correction territory.

From MarketWatch

This opening by Havana, a serious breach in the island's anti-capitalist system, comes as the Cuban economy teeters on the brink of collapse.

From Barron's

Instead, Japan’s economy is teetering on the edge of recession.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.