unsteady

1 of 2

verb

un·​steady ˌən-ˈste-dē How to pronounce unsteady (audio)
unsteadied; unsteadying; unsteadies

transitive verb

: to make unsteady

unsteady

2 of 2

adjective

: not steady: such as
a
: not firm or solid : not fixed in position : unstable
b
: marked by change or fluctuation : changeable
c
: not uniform or even : irregular
an unsteady pulse
unsteadily adverb
unsteadiness noun

Examples of unsteady in a Sentence

Adjective He was a little unsteady on his feet. The horse walked with an unsteady gait. He signed his name with an unsteady hand. The progress of the work has been unsteady. a period of unsteady growth
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The changes offered purpose and vital human connections that seemed to serve as moorings in a life too routinely unsteadied by the gathering gloom. San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2019 The rocks shifted and wobbled beneath my feet as the robust current pushed against my legs, unsteadying me. Cheryl Strayed, Vogue, 17 July 2018 The administration's haphazard appointment process is unlike any in recent memory and has left the federal government unsteadied at the highest levels. Robert O'Harrow Jr., Anchorage Daily News, 15 June 2018 Still, yesterday’s reports contributed to the latest in a mounting series of scandals that have unsteadied the Trump administration for months. Isobel Thompson, The Hive, 15 June 2017
Adjective
The follow-up to The Centre Cannot Hold mixes looped snatches of disfigured guitar riffs with field recordings, unsteady beats, buzz-saw synths, and sonar recordings of sperm whales, evoking a tectonic landscape that is thunderous yet oddly meditative. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 Mar. 2024 Others—probably most of us—have good moments and bad, rising and falling in unsteady fashion. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2024 Both suspects initially told police that the victim had been unsteady on his feet, and that recent bruises and signs of trauma on his growing body were the result of falls and a car accident about two weeks ago. The Arizona Republic, 13 Feb. 2024 Lyric Ross voices main character Kat, a young orphan who makes an unsteady agreement with the titular conniving, half-witted demons (played by Key and Peele) to resurrect her parents. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 28 Sep. 2023 Since then, the industry has been on unsteady ground, with the rise of streaming, last year’s dual strikes, and a dependence on endless, exhausted franchises. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2024 The film, which premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic competition at Sundance, takes place in Lima during a tumultuous summer in 1992 and chronicles an unsteady reunion between a father and his two daughters. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2024 As well as steering the ship through unsteady waters of inflation and rate pressures, the collapse of SVB in March threatened to send shockwaves through corporate America. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 Jan. 2024 According to the Mayo Clinic, initial symptoms of a medulloblastoma include dizziness, headaches, nausea, poor coordination, unsteady walk and vomiting. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsteady.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1532, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1551, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsteady was in 1532

Dictionary Entries Near unsteady

Cite this Entry

“Unsteady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsteady. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unsteady

adjective
un·​steady
ˌən-ˈsted-ē,
ˈən-
: not steady : unstable
unsteadily
-ˈsted-ᵊl-ē
adverb
unsteadiness
-ˈsted-ē-nəs
noun

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