What does wobbly mean?
Wobbly is an adjective describing something that is unsteady, unstable, or liable to shake or lose balance. It is especially common when describing furniture with a loose leg, a person who feels dizzy, or an object that moves irregularly. The word also has a figurative use for situations, plans, or institutions that lack firmness or consistency, as in “a wobbly start.” Wobbly is widely used in British and American English and generally has a neutral or slightly informal tone, though it can appear in formal reporting when precision is not required. Compared with words such as unstable, it often conveys a more visible or physical sense of movement. Its vividness makes it useful for describing both literal instability and uncertainty, although writers seeking a more technical description may prefer terms such as unstable, unsteady, or precarious.
adjectiveUnsteady or unstable, especially liable to wobble, shake, or lose balance. Figuratively, it describes something lacking firmness, consistency, or confidence.
- Unsteady or unstable in movement or balance.
- Lacking firmness, consistency, or confidence; wavering or unreliable.
"She steadied herself against the table, which had become wobbly after the earthquake."
"The old chair creaked and wobbled when he sat down."
"The new manager got off to a wobbly start, changing several policies within a week."
Wobbly carries a Dutch clue: it developed from wobble, an English borrowing of a Dutch word for tottering or swaying.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wobbly come from?
Wobbly is formed from the verb wobble with the adjectival suffix -y. Wobble entered English in the 17th century and is generally traced to the Dutch wobbelen, meaning “to wobble” or “to totter.” The derived adjective has come to mean unsteady, unstable, or liable to move irregularly.
Related word forms
How wobbly is actually used
Wobbly is common in everyday speech and informal writing. It is often more vivid than a neutral term such as unstable, especially when describing a person's movement or the early stages of a process.