wobbly
wobbly Lexical Profile
wobbly Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Tending to move unsteadily from side to side; not firmly fixed or balanced.
"The carpenter wedged a small piece of wood under the wobbly table leg to keep it from rocking."
Physically weak, trembling, or unsteady on one's feet, especially due to illness, exhaustion, or nervousness.
"After spending three days in bed with the flu, her legs still felt a bit wobbly when she stood up."
Uncertain, wavering, or insecure in quality, resolve, or performance.
"The team got off to a wobbly start in the first quarter before finding their rhythm and winning the match."
• noun
British A sudden fit of anger, panic, or temper tantrum (chiefly in the phrase 'throw a wobbly').
"The customer threw a wobbly when the receptionist informed him that his reservation had been canceled."
American A member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), an international labor union founded in 1905 (usually capitalized as 'Wobbly').
"During the early twentieth century, many itinerant timber and mine workers in the Pacific Northwest joined the Wobblies to campaign for better working conditions."
• Rhymes for wobbly
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the 19th century from the verb 'wobble' plus the suffix '-y', with 'wobble' deriving from Low German 'wabbeln' (to move unsteadily) and related to Old Norse 'vafla' (to waver or totter).