Synonyms of unsteadiness

unsteadiness 1 of 2

noun

as in instability

the quality or state of not being firmly fixed in position

blamed the poor quality of the video on the tripod's unsteadiness

Synonyms & Similar Words

• instability
• shakiness
• insecurity
• precariousness
• unstableness
• unsoundness
• changeability
• mutability
• inconstancy
• laxness
• looseness
• insubstantiality
• slackness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stability
• steadiness
• security
• fastness
• fixedness
• soundness
• firmness
• substantiality

unsteady

2 of 2

adjective

1

as in sporadic

lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence

a year of unsteady economic growth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sporadic
• intermittent
• occasional
• sudden
• erratic
• irregular
• unpredictable
• violent
• discontinuous
• spastic
• casual
• fitful
• spasmodic
• episodic
• choppy
• volatile
• aperiodic
• spotty
• uncertain
• unstable
• catchy
• random
• changeful
• haphazard
• fragmentary
• scattered
• broken
• convulsive
• aimless
• changing
• varying
• interrupted
• unsettled
• arbitrary
• inconstant
• stray
• odd
• disconnected
• capricious
• mercurial
• fluctuating
• variable
• desultory
• temperamental
• mutable
• wavering
• fluid
• slapdash
• hit-and-miss
• hit-or-miss
• fickle
• changeable
• flickery

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continuous
• steady
• constant
• regular
• periodic
• habitual
• stable
• stationary
• uniform
• even
• repeated
• unchanging
• orderly
• systematic
• equable
• changeless
• methodical
• unvarying
• unrelenting
• unwavering
• unremitting

2

as in volatile

likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly

in the days of sailing ships, mariners were constantly at the mercy of unsteady winds

Synonyms & Similar Words

• volatile
• unpredictable
• unstable
• changeful
• inconsistent
• uncertain
• variable
• unsettled
• inconstant
• capricious
• mercurial
• fluctuating
• temperamental
• mutable
• erratic
• fickle
• shaky
• changeable
• fluid
• up in the air
• unreliable
• skittish
• haphazard
• random
• flickery
• aimless
• scattered
• arbitrary
• ambivalent
• stray
• slapdash
• undependable
• irregular
• desultory
• untrustworthy
• wavering
• dicey
• hit-or-miss
• vacillating
• hesitating
• versatile
• adaptable
• mobile
• protean
• shilly-shally
• shilly-shallying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• steady
• stable
• constant
• certain
• stationary
• predictable
• unchanging
• invariable
• unchangeable
• immutable
• uniform
• settled
• even
• permanent
• unvarying
• persistent
• changeless
• durable
• lasting
• equable
• reliable
• abiding
• dependable
• sure
• true
• trustworthy
• trusty
• tried
• tried-and-true

3

as in unstable

not being in or able to maintain a state of balance

cautiously climbed up the unsteady ladder

Synonyms & Similar Words

• unstable
• unbalanced
• precarious
• wobbly
• shaky
• rocky
• tipsy
• tippy
• rickety
• wonky
• uneven
• infirm
• tottering
• insecure
• wavery
• doddering
• teetering
• unsound
• tottery
• lopsided
• awry
• doddery
• jiggly
• staggery
• jiggling
• askew
• off-kilter
• cockeyed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• steady
• stable
• stabilized
• balanced
• level
• straight
• even
• substantial
• sound
• equilibrated
• sturdy

4

as in uneven

not staying constant

unsteady business conditions that rattled investors

Synonyms & Similar Words

• uneven
• changing
• unstable
• varying
• unequal
• changeful
• erratic
• volatile
• inconsistent
• irregular
• uncertain
• fluctuating
• variable
• capricious
• unsettled
• mercurial
• inconstant
• fickle
• fluid
• changeable
• choppy
• mutable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• steady
• constant
• stable
• regular
• unchanging
• unvarying
• changeless

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unsteadiness

Noun

Unlike dizziness — which causes lightheadedness or unsteadiness — vertigo feels more like spinning. — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 27 May 2026

Those dates were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later canceled following Dion's 2022 diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that includes rigidity and stiffness of certain areas of the body, causing unsteadiness, slower movements and difficulties walking. — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Snitker pointed to broader economic unease — including unsettled inflation, shifting tariff policy and a Federal Reserve that has yet to commit to a clear rate path — as a backdrop that has left the market feeling unsteady without destabilizing it. — Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 11 Sep. 2026

O'Donnell said those terrain warnings reinforce that the plane was unsteady and suggest it may not have been configured correctly for landing. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026