wobbler
/'wɔblə/
Definition
- Noun:
- Something that wobbles: An object, person, or thing that moves unsteadily from side to side or back and forth.
- A person who is indecisive: (Figurative/Informal) A person who is hesitant, vacillates, or is unsteady in opinion or decision.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Physical Object):
- The table is a wobbler because one leg is shorter than the others.
- That old wheel on the cart is a real wobbler; it needs to be replaced.
- Noun (Person - Figurative):
- On the issue of policy, he's been a wobbler, changing his mind every week.
- Don't be a wobbler; make a firm decision and stick with it.
Advanced Usage
- "To throw a wobbler" (British Informal Idiom): To suddenly become very upset, angry, or emotional; to have a tantrum or fit.
- My boss threw a wobbler when he saw the mistake in the report.
Variants and Related Words
- Wobble (verb): To move unsteadily from side to side; to show indecision.
- The chair wobbled on the uneven floor.
- Wobbly (adjective): Tending to wobble; unsteady. Also used informally to mean feeling weak or emotionally upset.
- The ladder felt wobbly. / She felt a bit wobbly after the bad news.
Synonyms
- Unsteady object: Teeterer, shaker, rocker.
- Indecisive person: Vacillator, hesitator, fence-sitter, waverer.
Related Phrases
- On the wobble (Informal): In an unstable or uncertain condition.
- After the scandal, the government was on the wobble.
Related Idioms
- Throw a wobbly: (See "To throw a wobbler" in Advanced Usage). This is the more common form of the idiom.
- The toddler threw a wobbly when his toy was taken away.
Noun
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something that wobbles
