Wobbling — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective noun /ˈwä-bəl/ wob·ble

Meaning & Definition of Wobbling

Wobbling (verb)

  1. to move or proceed with an irregular rocking or staggering motion or unsteadily and clumsily from side to side
  2. tremble, quaver
  3. waver, vacillate

Wobbling (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements

    "her wobbling gait is due to Parkinson's disease"

    similar: aquiver, atremble, quaking, quavery, quivering, shaking, shaky, shuddering, shuddery, tottering, tottery, trembling, trembly, tremulous, wobbly
    related: convulsive, shivering, shivery, rocky, staggery, unstable, unsteady, wavering, wavery, palpitating, pulsating, throbbing
    near: controlled, firm, settled, stable, steady

Wobbling (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action

    "the mayor's apparent wobbling on the issue of increased property taxes"

    similar: faltering, fence-sitting, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitation, indecision, irresolution, pause, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, vacillation, wavering
    related: delay, hawing, procrastination, waiting, arrière-pensée, misgiving, second thought, consideration, debate, deliberation, doubt, incertitude, indecisiveness, indetermination, uncertainness, uncertainty, avoidance, equivocation, aversion, disinclination, indisposition, reluctance, unwillingness, faintheartedness, shyness, timidity, timidness
    near: certainty, certitude, confidence, decisiveness, determination, firmness, resoluteness, resolution, sureness, alacrity, eagerness, readiness

Wobbling (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make a series of small irregular or violent movements

    "the patient's hand wobbles so much that he can scarcely hold a glass of water"

    similar: agitating, bucketing, convulsing, jerking, jiggling, joggling, jolting, jouncing, juddering (chiefly British), quaking, quivering, shaking, shuddering, vibrating
    related: rocking, swaying, swinging, chattering, quavering, shivering, thrilling, trembling, twitching, doddering, wavering, flickering, fluctuating, fluttering, oscillating, undulating, waving, beating, palpitating, pit-a-patting, pitter-pattering, pulsating, pulsing, throbbing

  2. to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions

    "the table wobbled whenever I leaned on it"

    similar: careening, lurching, pitching, rocking, rolling, seesawing, swaying, tossing
    related: blundering, bucking, doddering, faltering, floundering, halting, hitching, hobbling, jerking, jolting, reeling, shaking, staggering, stumbling, teetering, toddling, tottering, tumbling, vacillating, vibrating, waddling, wavering, weaving, oscillating, undulating, wagging, waggling

  3. to show uncertainty about the right course of action

    "we cannot afford to have the governor wobble at this critical time"

    similar: balancing, dithering, faltering, halting, hanging back, hesitating, scrupling, shilly-shallying, staggering, teetering, vacillating, wavering
    related: hawing, hemming, dallying, dawdling, delaying, lingering, pausing, procrastinating, waiting, backing down, chickening (out), considering, debating, deliberating, pondering, weighing, oscillating, swaying, equivocating, hedging, pussyfooting, waffling
    opposite: diving (in), plunging (in)
    near: deciding, budging, stirring, advancing, continuing

  4. to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side

    "the drunk stood up, wobbled for a moment, and fell forward"

    similar: faltering, rocking, teetering, tottering, wavering
    related: floundering, lurching, stumbling, toddling, quaking, quavering, quivering, shaking, shuddering, trembling, vibrating, careening, reeling, staggering, weaving

Related Entry: Wobble (verb)

Wobble is a different word from Wobbling. The synonyms below are for wobble, not for wobbling.

  1. to make a series of small irregular or violent movements

    "the patient's hand wobbles so much that he can scarcely hold a glass of water"

    similar: agitate, bucket, convulse, jerk, jiggle, joggle, jolt, jounce, judder (chiefly British), quake, quiver, shake, shudder, vibrate
    related: rock, sway, swing, chatter, quaver, shiver, thrill, tremble, twitch, dodder, waver, flicker, fluctuate, flutter, oscillate, undulate, wave, beat, palpitate, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, pulsate, pulse, throb

  2. to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions

    "the table wobbled whenever I leaned on it"

    similar: careen, lurch, pitch, rock, roll, seesaw, sway, toss
    related: blunder, buck, dodder, falter, flounder, halt, hitch, hobble, jerk, jolt, reel, shake, stagger, stumble, teeter, toddle, totter, tumble, vacillate, vibrate, waddle, waver, weave, oscillate, undulate, wag, waggle

  3. to show uncertainty about the right course of action

    "we cannot afford to have the governor wobble at this critical time"

    similar: balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver
    related: haw, hem, dally, dawdle, delay, linger, pause, procrastinate, wait, back down, chicken (out), consider, debate, deliberate, ponder, weigh, oscillate, sway, equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, waffle
    opposite: dive (in), plunge (in)
    near: decide, budge, stir, advance, continue

  4. to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side

    "the drunk stood up, wobbled for a moment, and fell forward"

    similar: falter, rock, teeter, totter, waver
    related: flounder, lurch, stumble, toddle, quake, quaver, quiver, shake, shudder, tremble, vibrate, careen, reel, stagger, weave

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Wobbling

The most common words with a similar meaning to Wobbling:

Chiefly British: juddering
aquiver, atremble, quaking, quavery, quivering, shaking, shaky, shuddering, shuddery, tottering, tottery, trembling, trembly, tremulous, wobbly, faltering, fence-sitting, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitation, indecision, irresolution, pause, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, vacillation, wavering, agitating, bucketing, convulsing, jerking, jiggling, joggling, jolting, jouncing, vibrating, careening, lurching, pitching, rocking

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Wobbling

Words with the opposite meaning of Wobbling:

diving (in), plunging (in)

Related Words for Wobbling

convulsive, shivering, shivery, rocky, staggery, unstable, unsteady, wavery, palpitating, pulsating, throbbing, delay, hawing, procrastination, waiting, arrière-pensée, misgiving, second thought, consideration, debate, deliberation, doubt, incertitude, indecisiveness, indetermination, uncertainness, uncertainty, avoidance, equivocation, aversion

Near Antonyms of Wobbling

controlled, firm, settled, stable, steady, certainty, certitude, confidence, decisiveness, determination, firmness, resoluteness, resolution, sureness, alacrity, eagerness, readiness, deciding, budging, stirring, advancing, continuing

Word Forms of Wobbling

Inflections: wobbled, wabbled, wabbling

Derived words: wobbler (noun), wobbliness (noun), wobbly (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Wobbling

probably from Low German wabbeln; akin to Old English wǣfre restless waver

First known use: 1657i

Frequently Asked Questions about Wobbling

What does "Wobbling" mean?

"Wobbling" means to move or proceed with an irregular rocking or staggering motion or unsteadily and clumsily from side to side. As an a verb, an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: to move or proceed with an irregular rocking or staggering motion or unsteadily and clumsily from side to side. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Wobbling"?

Other words for "Wobbling" include aquiver, atremble, quaking, quavery, quivering, shaking, shaky and shuddering. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Wobbling" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Wobbling"?

There are 139 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Wobbling". Common alternatives include aquiver, atremble, quaking, quavery, quivering, shaking, shaky, shuddering, shuddery and tottering.

What is the opposite of "Wobbling"?

Antonyms of "Wobbling" include diving (in) and plunging (in). Near antonyms include controlled, firm, settled and stable.

How do you use "Wobbling" in a sentence?

Examples of "Wobbling" in a sentence: "her wobbling gait is due to Parkinson's disease"; "the mayor's apparent wobbling on the issue of increased property taxes"; "the patient's hand wobbles so much that he can scarcely hold a glass of water".

Is "Wobbling" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Wobbling" can be used as a verb, an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Wobbling"?

"Wobbling" is pronounced /ˈwä-bəl/ and divided into syllables as wob·ble.

What is the origin of the word "Wobbling"?

"Wobbling" comes from probably from Low German wabbeln; akin to Old English wǣfre restless waver. First known use: 1657i.