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

Verb

• falter
• rock
• totter
• waver
• wobble
• wabble

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

In Wednesday’s session specifically, stocks teetered , sliding during morning trading after the core consumer price index increased slightly in August before paring back losses later in the day. —Sean Conlon,nick Wells, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2024

Finally, Adani teetered on the edge of the elite group of super-wealthy magnates at $99.6 billion as of Sunday after India’s Nifty 50 index of the largest Indian companies recorded a three-day losing streak. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2024

Noun

As a single market, China currently teeters between Roche Bobois‘ third and fifth top markets. —Sofia Celeste, WWD, 11 Sep. 2024

With lacerating humor and a multitude of similarly revealing moments, Colored Television illuminates the axes around which its novelist protagonist Jane's life teeters. —Carole V. Bell, NPR, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing teeter

• teeter-totter

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