wobble

1 of 2

verb

wob·​ble ˈwä-bəl 

variants or less commonly wabble

wobbled also wabbled; wobbling also wabbling ˈwä-b(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move or proceed with an irregular rocking or staggering motion or unsteadily and clumsily from side to side

b

: tremble, quaver

2

: waver, vacillate

transitive verb

: to cause to wobble

wobbler noun

or less commonly wabbler

ˈwä-b(ə-)lər 

wobbliness noun

or less commonly wabbliness

ˈwä-blē-nəs 

wobbly adjective

or less commonly wabbly

ˈwä-b(ə-)lē 

wobbler

2 of 2

noun

wob·​bler

variants or less commonly wabbler

-b(ə)lə(r) 

plural -s

: one that wobbles: such as

a

: an elliptical cutterhead placed on a shaft at such an angle as to correspond with an oblique section of a right circular cylinder

b

: either of the grooved ends more or less resembling either a 3-lobed or 4-lobed gear wheel in cross section that project beyond the housings in a rolling mill and transmit power to a roll from the junction boxes

c

: a fishing lure of the spoon type that wobbles when drawn through the water

Synonyms of wobble

Verb

• shake
• jerk
• shudder
• vibrate
• quiver

Examples of wobble in a Sentence

Verb

The vase wobbled but didn't fall over.

The boy was wobbling along on his bicycle.

The table wobbles a little.

They have been wobbling in their support of the president's policies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Amanda is talking about her friendships with Ciara and West in confessional when the background suddenly starts to wobble, the lights flicker, and her outfit changes. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 3 June 2026

However, smoother surfaces can make airflow less stable, causing the ball to wobble, dip, or change direction unpredictably. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026

Art schools, like all schools, are wobbling under the illogic of the cost-benefit math. —Katy Siegel, Artforum, 2 June 2026

Your calm precision can keep the whole plan from wobbling. —Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from Low German wabbeln; akin to Old English wǣfre restless — more at waver

First Known Use

Verb

1657, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Rhymes for wobble

• bauble
• cobble
• gobble
• hobble
• labile
• squabble
• cantabile

Kids Definition

wobble

1 of 2 verb

wob·​ble ˈwäb-əl 

wobbled; wobbling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

a

: to move or cause to move with a jerky rocking or side-to-side motion

the baby's head wobbled from side to side

b

: tremble entry 1 sense 1

a voice that wobbles

2

: waver sense 1

his opinion wobbled

wobbler

ˈwäb-(ə-)lər 

noun

wobbly

-(ə-)lē 

adjective

wobble

2 of 2 noun

: a wobbling action or movement

the wheel had a bad wobble