unsteady adj

1 subject to change or variation especially in behavior; "her unsteady walk"; "his hand was unsteady as he poured the wine"; "an unsteady voice" [ant: steady]

2 not having a steady rhythm; "an arrhythmic heartbeat" [syn: arrhythmic, jerking, jerky]

3 not firmly or solidly positioned; "climbing carefully up the unsteady ladder"; "an unfirm stance" [syn: unfirm] [also: unsteadied]

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ǝn'stɛdı/

  Rhymes: -ɛdi

Etymology

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

Adjective

1. Not held firmly in position.
2. Noted for lack of regularity or uniformity.
3. Inconstant in purpose, or volatile in behaviour.

Antonyms

• steady

Translations

• French: branlant, instable, fébrile
• Swedish: ostadig (1,2)
• Portuguese: oscilante;volúvel; inconsistente

Verb

1. To render unsteady, removing balance.

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