shakily

Thân thiện

She held the cup of tea shakily as she walked across the room.

Definition

1. Adverb:
   • In a trembling or shaking manner: Describes an action performed with unsteady, quivering movements, often due to fear, weakness, or strong emotion.
   • In an insecure, unstable, or uncertain manner: Describes something done with a lack of firmness, confidence, or solid support.

Usage Examples

• Adverb (Trembling manner):
  • She held out the letter shakily, her hands trembling.
  • "I think I saw something," he said shakily.
• Adverb (Insecure/uncertain manner):
  • The old bridge was shakily constructed from rope and wood.
  • He stood up shakily after the long illness.

Advanced Usage

• "to be shakily established": to be founded on an unstable or uncertain basis.
  • The company's financial future was shakily established on a single contract.
• "to proceed shakily": to move forward in an unsteady or hesitant way.
  • The negotiations proceeded shakily, with frequent disagreements.

Variants and Related Words

• Shaky (adj): unsteady, trembling, or not firm.
  • He has a shaky voice when he's nervous.
  • The table is shaky; one leg is loose.
• Shakiness (n): the state or quality of being shaky.
  • The shakiness in her hands was a side effect of the medicine.

Synonyms

• Unsteadily: In a not firm or stable way.
• Tremulously: In a trembling or quivering way, often from nervousness.
• Insecurely: In a manner not firmly fixed or likely to fail.

Antonyms

• Steadily: In a firm, stable, and regular manner.
• Confidently: In a sure and self-assured manner.
• Securely: In a fixed, firm, and safe manner.

Related Phrases

• On shaky ground: In an uncertain or vulnerable position.
  • His argument is on shaky ground because the evidence is weak.
• A shaky start: A beginning that is uncertain, unstable, or not smooth.
  • The project got off to a shaky start, but later became very successful.

Học thuật

Adverb

1. in a manner characterized by trembling or shaking
   • `I--I'm going to make you a cup of tea', she explained shakily
2. in an insecurely shaky manner
   • this theory is rather shakily supported by some obscure data