unsteady

English

Etymology

From un- +‎ steady. Like steady, the word first appeared in English around 1530. The word is comparable to Old Frisian onstedich, Low German unstadig, etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʌnˈstɛdi/
• Rhymes: -ɛdi
• Hyphenation: un‧steady

Adjective

unsteady (comparative unsteadier, superlative unsteadiest)

1. Not held firmly in position, physically unstable.

   A slightly unsteady item of furniture.

   • Template:RQ:Chmbrs YngrSt

     "Mid-Lent, and the Enemy grins," remarked Selwyn as he started for church with Nina and the children. Austin, knee-deep in a dozen Sunday supplements, refused to stir; poor little Eileen was now convalescent from grippe, but still unsteady on her legs; her maid had taken the grippe, and now moaned all day: […]"

2. Lacking regularity or uniformity.
3. Inconstant in purpose, or volatile in behavior.

Synonyms

• (not held or fixed securely and likely to fall over): precarious, rickety, shaky, tottering, unsafe, unstable, wobbly

Antonyms

• steady

Translations

not held in position

• Finnish: epävakaa (fi)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἀσταθής (astathḗs), ἀστάθμητος (astáthmētos)

• Maori: tatutatu, tikoki, tīkoki, tīmangamanga, koritaka, pariko, pārikoriko, koritaka, tūretireti
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Persian: شل (fa), لق (fa)
• Portuguese: instável (pt)
• Russian: неусто́йчивый (ru) (neustójčivyj), ша́ткий (ru) (šátkij), зы́бкий (ru) (zýbkij)
• Swedish: ostadig (sv)

lacking regularity

• Finnish: epävakaa (fi), epäsäännöllinen (fi)
• Irish: anacair
• Maori: tīmangamanga
• Portuguese: instável (pt), volúvel (pt)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: неусто́йчивый (ru) (neustójčivyj)
• Spanish: irregular (es) m or f
• Swedish: ostadig (sv)

inconstant in purpose or volatile in behavior

• Finnish: epävakaa (fi)
• German: unstet (de)
• Irish: luaineach
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: inconstante (pt), volátil (pt)
• Russian: неусто́йчивый (ru) (neustójčivyj), непостоя́нный (ru) (nepostojánnyj), переме́нчивый (ru) (pereménčivyj)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} instable (fr), branlant, fébrile
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Verb

unsteady (third-person singular simple present unsteadies, present participle unsteadying, simple past and past participle unsteadied)

1. To render unsteady, removing balance.

Anagrams

• unstayed