UNSTEADY (unsteadied)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: unsteadied   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does unsteady mean? 

• UNSTEADY (adjective)
  The adjective UNSTEADY has 2 senses:

1. subject to change or variation

2. not firmly or solidly positioned

  Familiarity information: UNSTEADY used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UNSTEADY (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Subject to change or variation

Context example:

an unsteady voice

Similar:

fluctuating (having unpredictable ups and downs)

wobbling ((of sound) fluctuating unsteadily)

uneven (variable and recurring at irregular intervals)

tottering; tottery (unsteady in gait as from infirmity or old age)

shuddering (shaking convulsively or violently)

shifting; shifty (changing position or direction)

quavering; tremulous ((of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear)

shaky; shivering; trembling (vibrating slightly and irregularly; as e.g. with fear or cold or like the leaves of an aspen in a breeze)

palpitant; palpitating (having a slight and rapid trembling motion)

aflicker; flickering (shining unsteadily)

faltering (unsteady in speech or action)

convulsive; spasmodic; spastic (affected by involuntary jerky muscular contractions; resembling a spasm)

arrhythmic; jerking; jerky (lacking a steady rhythm)

Also:

unstable (lacking stability or fixity or firmness)

irregular (contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice)

uneven (not even or uniform as e.g. in shape or texture)

agitated (troubled emotionally and usually deeply)

Antonym:

steady (not subject to change or variation especially in behavior)

Derivation:

unsteadiness (the quality of being unsteady--varying and unpredictable)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Not firmly or solidly positioned

Synonyms:

unfirm; unsteady

Context example:

an unfirm stance

Similar:

unfixed (not firmly placed or set or fastened)

Derivation:

unsteadiness (the quality of not being steady or securely fixed in place)

 Context examples 

Issue associated with device-related burn with an unsteady flame.

(Flare or Flash Medical Device Problem, Food and Drug Administration)

“I wish to see or hear no more of Dr. Jekyll,” he said in a loud, unsteady voice.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Upon my word, Watson! said Holmes at last with an unsteady voice, I owe you both my thanks and an apology.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"Sir, I do not wish to act against you," I said; and my unsteady voice warned me to curtail my sentence.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Signs and symptoms include lack of motor coordination, unsteady gait, and difficulty walking.

(Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker Disease, NCI Thesaurus)

What could be meant by such unsteady conduct, what her friend could be at, was beyond her comprehension.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

One glance, however, was sufficient; and it was only one glance that I durst take from that unsteady skiff.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

You think me unsteady: easily swayed by the whim of the moment, easily tempted, easily put aside.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Balance problems can make you feel unsteady or as if you were moving, spinning, or floating.

(Balance Problems, NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) Somatic (muscular); pains and aches, twitching, stiffness, myoclonic jerks, grinding of teeth, unsteady voice, increased muscular tone.

(HAMA - Somatic (Muscular), NCI Thesaurus)