fishtailed
Skidded out sideways
Fishtailed describes a vehicle's rear end swinging side to side, losing traction and sliding out of alignment with the front.
The motion resembles a fish's tail moving through water.
It typically happens on slick roads or during hard acceleration: The car fishtailed on the icy curve.
The past tense of fishtail, it can also describe aircraft or anything that swerves similarly.
Excessive rear rotation
- countersteerTurning toward a skid
- driftGradual movement, no direction
- swerveAbrupt directional change
- slideSmooth continuous movement
hydroplane · spinout · traction · tailspin · rear-end · correction · recovery · steering
Abrupt directional change
- slideSmooth continuous movement
- whipStrikes or aerates
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- oscillateMove rhythmically between extremes
waggle · weave · snake · sweep · shimmy · wobble · lurch · veer
Tending to teeter
- unsteadyLacking balance or stability
- erraticLacking regularity or consistency
- precariousDangerously insecure
- teeteringUnstably balanced, nearly falling
shaky · wavering · uncontrolled · unpredictable · slippery · treacherous · dangerous · harrowing
oversteer
Excessive rear rotation
- countersteerTurning toward a skid
- driftGradual movement, no direction
- swerveAbrupt directional change
slide · hydroplane · spinout · traction · tailspin · rear-end · correction · recovery · steering · skid
swerve
Abrupt directional change
oscillate · waggle · weave · snake · sweep · shimmy · wobble · lurch · veer · zigzag
wobbly
Tending to teeter
- unsteadyLacking balance or stability
- erraticLacking regularity or consistency
- precariousDangerously insecure
teetering · shaky · wavering · uncontrolled · unpredictable · slippery · treacherous · dangerous · harrowing · frightening