Definition

1. Verb:

   • To move or cause to move unsteadily from side to side: To have a slight, often shaky, rocking or swaying motion, lacking stability.
   • To tremble or shake, especially in sound: To waver or fluctuate, often due to weakness or emotion.
   • To be indecisive or vacillate: To hesitate between choices or opinions; to show uncertainty.

2. Noun:

   • An unsteady rocking motion: A movement characterized by a lack of steadiness, often a side-to-side sway.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • The table wobbles because one leg is shorter than the others.
  • Her voice began to wobble as she spoke about the sad memory.
  • He tends to wobble on his political stance depending on the audience.

• Noun:

  • There's a noticeable wobble in the wheel of my bicycle.
  • The toddler took a few steps with a slight wobble before sitting down.

Advanced Usage

• "To wobble on/about": To be unsteady or uncertain regarding a specific topic or decision.
  • The government began to wobble on its commitment to the new policy after public criticism.

Variants and Related Words

• Wobbly (adj): Unsteady; tending to wobble.
  • After the long hike, my legs felt wobbly.
• Wobbliness (n): The state or quality of being wobbly.

Synonyms

• Verb: Sway, teeter, totter, shake, quiver, vacillate.
• Noun: Unsteadiness, tremor, shake.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Wobble about/around: To move unsteadily in a general area.
  • The spinning top wobbled about on the floor before it fell over.

Related Idioms

• To throw a wobble/wobbly (British, informal): To suddenly become very upset or angry; to have a tantrum.
  • He threw a wobbly when he found out his flight was canceled.

Noun

1. an unsteady rocking motion

Verb

1. tremble or shake
   • His voice wobbled with restrained emotion
2. move sideways or in an unsteady way
   • The ship careened out of control
3. move unsteadily
   • His knees wobbled
   • The old cart wobbled down the street