shakier; shakiest
1
: characterized by shakes
shaky timber
2
a
: lacking stability : precarious
a shaky economy
performed well after a shaky start
b
: lacking in firmness (as of beliefs or principles)
c
: lacking in authority or reliability : questionable
shaky experimental procedures
shaky data
3
a
: somewhat unsound in health
b
: characterized by shaking
4
: likely to give way or break down
a shaky ladder
Synonyms of shaky
Examples of shaky in a Sentence
She took a few shaky steps before she collapsed.
Her commitment to the cause seems shaky.
Their marriage is on shaky ground.
The team has performed better lately after getting off to a shaky start.
Recent Examples on the Web
Senior Connor Sahagun started the game shaky and gave up two home runs in the first inning.
—
Dan Rios, Daily News, 2 May 2026
Chesnot | Getty Images Bitcoin surged in April, but its run could be on shaky ground, according to crypto data provider CryptoQuant.
—Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 1 May 2026
The group is expected to ring up collectively for about $450 million, an enormous sum in any market, but a truly titanic one in a shaky moment in the art market and the global economy.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
What’s more likely, Bedoya says, is that these sovereign wealth funds may pull their investment over the deal’s shaky fundamentals.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shaky
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Dan Rios, Daily News, 2 May 2026
Chesnot | Getty Images Bitcoin surged in April, but its run could be on shaky ground, according to crypto data provider CryptoQuant.
—Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 1 May 2026
The group is expected to ring up collectively for about $450 million, an enormous sum in any market, but a truly titanic one in a shaky moment in the art market and the global economy.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
What’s more likely, Bedoya says, is that these sovereign wealth funds may pull their investment over the deal’s shaky fundamentals.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shaky
Cite this Entry
“Shaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shaky. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shaky
adjective
shakier; shakiest
1
a
: lacking firmness
b
: lacking in authority or reliability : questionable
shaky data
2
: marked by shaking : trembling
3
: likely to give way or break down
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