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unstable

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of unstable

1 not being in or able to maintain a state of balance
  • The minute we put the books down on the unstable desk, the whole stack went crashing to the floor.
Synonyms of unstable

unbalanced, unsteady
Words Related to unstable

rocky, shaky, tippy, tipsy, wavery, wobbly (also wabbly)

infirm, insecure, precarious, unsound

doddering, doddery, jiggling, jiggly, rickety, teetering, tottering, tottery

askew, awry, cockeyed, lopsided, off-kilter, uneven
Near Antonyms of unstable

even, level, straight

sound, sturdy, substantial
Antonyms of unstable

balanced, equilibrated, stabilized, stable, steady
2 likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
  • Financial investors don't like an unstable economy.
Synonyms of unstable

capricious, changeable, changeful, fickle, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unsteady, variable, volatile
Words Related to unstable

aimless, arbitrary, desultory, erratic, haphazard, hit-or-miss, irregular, random, scattered, slapdash, stray

ambivalent, hesitating, shaky, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, vacillating, wavering

dicey, undependable, unreliable, untrustworthy

adaptable, mobile, protean, versatile
Phrases Synonymous with unstable

up in the air
Near Antonyms of unstable

equable, even, uniform

abiding, durable, lasting, permanent, persistent

dependable, reliable, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty
Antonyms of unstable

certain, changeless, constant, immutable, invariable, predictable, settled, stable, stationary, steady, unchangeable, unchanging, unvarying
3 not staying constant
  • Unstable temperatures are not ideal growing conditions for orchids.
Synonyms of unstable

changing, erratic, fluctuating, irregular, unequal, uneven, unsteady, varying
Words Related to unstable

capricious, changeable, changeful, choppy, fickle, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, uncertain, unsettled, variable, volatile
Near Antonyms of unstable

regular
Antonyms of unstable

changeless, constant, stable, steady, unchanging, unvarying

Synonym Discussion of unstable

inconstant, fickle, capricious, mercurial, unstable mean lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion). inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change.
    • an inconstant friend
fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness.
    • performers discover how fickle fans can be
capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.
    • an utterly capricious critic
mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood.
    • made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament
unstable implies an incapacity for remaining in a fixed position or steady course and applies especially to a lack of emotional balance.
    • too unstable to hold a job

Learn More about unstable

  1. See words that rhyme with unstable Dictionary: Definition of unstable Medical Dictionary: Definition of unstable Spanish Central: Translation of unstable Nglish: Translation of unstable for Spanish speakers

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