to wobble

Examples

• All

• Even today, I see him clearly, waving to me from his wobbling bicycle.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Even your old Uncle Mally's paws wobble a bit from time to time.

  Hard to Kill (1990)

• "I am not," she said, and made her voice wobble just a bit.

  Fiction book (1992)

• This thing is trying to wobble and it's been pushed up and over.

  MIT OpenCourseWare

• Sure, I wobbled a bit, but I did not go down.

  Kicking & Screaming (2005)

• The van gained the highway and wobbled off ahead of them.

  Fiction book (1993)

• The unstable vehicle screeches and wobbles on the edge of control.

  Fiction book (1991)

• I blow gently on it so that it wobbles back and forth even more and finally topples over.

  Academic text (2001)

• Pretty soon, the pedestal wobbles, and then topples.

  An Affair to Remember (1957)

• The table started to wobble when I leaned on it too hard.

Synonyms

S

to shake

vsto wobble

916 1.0

To move quickly from side to side or up and down

is less forceful and more irregular side to side movement than that

W

to wiggle

vsto wobble

89 1.0

To move with small, quick movements from side to side or up and down

is larger, less regular unsteady movement rather than small quick motions

S

to sway

vsto wobble

77 2.4

To move slowly from side to side in a gentle rhythm

is irregular and unsteady rather than slow and rhythmic movement

Q

to quiver

vsto wobble

47 4.5

To shake in small, quick movements because of fear, cold, or excitement

is a heavier, less rapid unsteady motion rather than a slight tremble

W

to wag

vsto wobble

32 1.4

To move quickly from side to side or up and down again and again

is unsteady and irregular movement rather than a deliberate repeated motion

W

to waver

vsto wobble

12 4.8

To move or shake in a slight, unsteady way

is focused on physical side to side irregular movement rather than audible cases

T

to totter

vsto wobble

11 4.8

To walk in an unsteady way as if about to fall

covers general unsteady movement, not only unsteady walking or falling

J

to jitter

vsto wobble

2 4.6

To shake or move quickly because you are nervous

is unsteady without implying the nervous, jerky quality

S

to shimmy

vsto wobble

1 7.4

To shake slightly with quick movements

is irregular instability rather than a quick rhythmic shaking pattern

W

to wabble

vsto wobble

8.9

To move unsteadily from side to side

is the same meaning but differs only as a spelling or form variant

L

to librate

vsto wobble

9.9

Move back and forth a little before stopping

is more irregular and less rhythmic than that controlled back and forth motion

W

to wamble

vsto wobble

• Archaic

9.9

To move unsteadily while rolling from side to side

is more a side to side irregular motion rather than a rolling weave

S

to swag

vsto wobble

• Archaic

8.1

To move from side to side in an unsteady way

is a general unsteady motion rather than heavy, load driven swaying

C

to coggle

vsto wobble

9.9

To walk in a wobbly way as if about to fall

is used for any unstable side to side motion, not only unsure walking

Antonyms

S

to steady

41 3.4

To make yourself or something stop moving

Idioms

G

to give your head a wobble

• Australian

9.9

Tell someone to think again because they are not being reasonable

How Wobbly

to topple

93 4.1

to lurch

34 5.6

to shake

• Specialized

27 5.5

to wobble

40 3.8

to sway

77 2.4

Surface Forms

Etymology