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unsteadiness

unsteadiness

1 5.1
A lack of balance or firm control that causes shaking
  • noun
  • /ʌnˈstɛdiness/
translation icon : inestabilidad
  • One patient was unable to use a treadmill because of unsteadiness, and so walking distance on the flat was recorded as a measure of exercise threshold.

Examples

  • The dancer's unsteadiness during the performance was due to a recent ankle injury.

  • As he aged, John experienced increasing unsteadiness when walking, making him rely on a cane.

  • Despite a dangerous unsteadiness in his balance, he turned his head and lifted a hand.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Astonished at its own sudden unsteadiness, the ship of state began at once to right itself.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • One of the main difficulties for surgeons is unsteadiness in their hands.

    Academic text (2003)
  • In the elderly, the causes of unsteadiness and falls are multifactorial and overlapping.

    Academic text (1999)
  • How much of the fear of falling is influenced by the fall experiences of others, by fall near misses, or by symptoms such as unsteadiness or dizziness?

    Academic text (2008)
  • Syncope and unsteadiness, heralds of impending falls and fractures, were the symptoms most often cited.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Poor balance self-efficacy, which reflects a fear of falling, loss of balance, and unsteadiness, is a psychological barrier that may lead to activity avoidance, deterioration of physical function, and poor community reintegration.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Due to her condition, she noticed a troubling unsteadiness in her hands while trying to write.

Synonyms

instability
vsunsteadiness
114 5.1

A situation that changes easily and can fail, for example in politics

is narrower, focusing on immediate lack of firmness or tendency to shake
fluctuation
vsunsteadiness
76 6.3

A change in level or amount that goes up and down over time

focuses on unstable condition itself rather than periodic rises and falls
wavering
vsunsteadiness
3 5.5

A time when someone is unsure about a choice

is about physical or broad lack of firmness rather than mental doubt
shakiness
vsunsteadiness
1 4.1

An unsteady trembling of the body or voice when you cannot keep them still

is wider, referring to general lack of steadiness rather than only trembling
jerkiness
vsunsteadiness
1 6.7

A series of sudden, rough stops and starts that make movement uneven

describes continuous lack of steadiness rather than short sharp motions
wobbliness
vsunsteadiness
6.0

A state of being unsteady and shaky so things or sounds seem to move

is broader, covering lack of firmness beyond just side to side movement
unstableness
vsunsteadiness
7.0

A state in which things are not firm or steady

is often used for short term or physical lack of steadiness rather than long term
ricketiness
vsunsteadiness
8.8

A state when something is unstable and not firmly fixed

is more general, applying to movement and lack of firmness not just loose fixing
unsettlement
vsunsteadiness
6.1

A feeling of being worried and not calm

is about physical or general lack of firmness rather than emotional disturbance
unsettledness
vsunsteadiness
6.7

A time of changeable weather with sudden rain and wind

is general and applies to people, objects, and situations beyond weather
nonequilibrium
vsunsteadiness
  • Specialized
8.2

A system that is not balanced or steady, often in science

is everyday and general, not a specialized scientific balance term

Antonyms

363 3.1

Being steady and not likely to change

4 3.6

The state of being calm and not changing under pressure

How Steady

shakiness
1 4.1
unsteadiness
1 5.1
stability
363 3.1
firmness
1 3.0

Surface Forms

unsteadiness singular

Morphology

unsteadiness = unsteady (transparent) = un + steady + ness

Standard noun formation from the adjective 'unsteady' with the productive suffix '-ness', so the meaning is directly inferable.

Etymology

The word unsteadiness comes from the parts un- ('not'), steady ('firm, not moving') and -ness ('state'). So it means the 'state of not being steady', like a ladder that wobbles or a voice that shakes.