wobble
Rock back and forth
Wobble describes unsteady movement—a rocking or swaying motion that suggests instability or lack of firm support.
A table wobbles when its legs are uneven; a toddler wobbles while learning to walk; a politician wobbles when wavering on a position.
The noun wobble is an instance of such movement: There's a wobble in the front wheel.
Something wobbly is prone to wobbling or currently doing so.
Sway without stability
- totterMove unsteadily, nearly falling
- swayRock back and forth
- rockSolid earthen material
- shakeTrembling or blended treat
quiver · oscillate · vibrate · jiggle · shimmy · waggle · bobble · judder
Walk unsteadily, young
- waddleSwaying, clumsy gait
- staggerWalk unsteadily, sway
- stumbleLose footing momentarily
- lurchAbrupt unsteady movement
shamble · totter · falter · hobble · shuffle · flounder · careen · weave
Hesitate or fluctuate
- vacillateWaver between choices
- hesitatePause in uncertainty
- ditherNervous inability to choose
- fluctuateVary irregularly over time
equivocate · falter · waffle · shilly-shally · hedge · seesaw · yo-yo · flip-flop
Restless small movements
- squirmTwist from discomfort
- jiggleShake with small movements
- wiggleMove with small twists
- wriggleTwisting, snakelike movement
twitch · flutter · quiver · tremor · shudder · vibrate · palpitate · churn
Prone to sudden change
- precariousDangerously insecure
- shakyTrembling or unstable
- ricketyUnsteady, liable to collapse
- unbalancedLacking equilibrium or stability
teetering · tottering · unsteady · top-heavy · tippy · lopsided · off-balance · insecure
teeter
Sway without stability
shake · quiver · oscillate · vibrate · jiggle · shimmy · waggle · bobble · judder · tremble
toddle
Walk unsteadily, young
lurch · shamble · totter · falter · hobble · shuffle · flounder · careen · weave · reel
waver
Hesitate or fluctuate
fluctuate · equivocate · falter · waffle · shilly-shally · hedge · seesaw · yo-yo · flip-flop · oscillate
fidget
Restless small movements
wriggle · twitch · flutter · quiver · tremor · shudder · vibrate · palpitate · churn · gurgle
unstable
Prone to sudden change
- precariousDangerously insecure
- shakyTrembling or unstable
- ricketyUnsteady, liable to collapse
unbalanced · teetering · tottering · unsteady · top-heavy · tippy · lopsided · off-balance · insecure · loose
- balanceequilibrium, balancing, harmony, stability, symmetry
- body movementsflexion, bend, twist, standing, extension
- clumsinessclumsiness, clumsy, awkwardness, fumble, stumble
- instabilityinstability, unsteadiness, shakiness, wobbliness, precariousness
- -le/-er verbsbabble, bubble, bumble, burble, crackle
- swayingsway, oscillate, rock, swing, undulate
wobblestabilize
Make firm or constant
steady · hold firm · balance · stand firm · anchor
wobbledecide
Reach a conclusion
commit · stand firm · hold fast · resolve · stay the course
- wobbly knees
- wobbly legsUnstable lower supports
- wobbly bits
- wobble boardTilting fitness platform
- death wobbleDangerous steering oscillation
- Chandler wobbleEarth's axial deviation cycle
wobbly, wobbling, wobbled, wobbles, wobbliest, wobbleboard, wobbleboards