teeter

1 of 2

verb

tee·​ter ˈtē-tər 

teetered; teetering; teeters

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move unsteadily : wobble

b

: waver, vacillate

teetered on the brink of bankruptcy

2

: seesaw

teeter

2 of 2

noun

: seesaw sense 2b

Synonyms of teeter

Verb

• falter
• wobble
• tremble
• totter
• shake
• rock

Examples of teeter in a Sentence

Verb

The pile of books teetered and fell to the floor.

She teetered down the street in her high heels.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Our family teetered on the cusp of something ragged and broken. — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026

But there’s also an untidiness to it, teetering on the edge of its seams, threatening to unravel but always miraculously staying in place. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Noun

Cliffs teeter at 1,640 feet, before tumbling down in a flurry of vineyards and walking trails to the rushing rivers and gorges of Sil and Miño. — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026

Over the decades, Cricket and Olympia teeter between friendship and love, their orbits colliding at New York galleries and Paris ateliers before painfully coming apart again. — Air Mail, 27 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English titeren to totter, reel; akin to Old High German zittarōn to shiver

First Known Use

Verb

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing teeter

• teeter-totter

Rhymes for teeter

• beater
• cheater
• dieter
• eater
• heater
• liter
• litre
• meter
• metre
• neater
• praetor
• seater

Kids Definition

teeter

verb

tee·​ter

ˈtēt-ər

1

a

: to move unsteadily

teetered on the edge and fell over the side

b

: waver sense 1

2

: seesaw entry 2 sense 2

teeter noun