Rickety

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɪk.ɪ.ti/

Definitions

1. Unstable, wobbly, or in a state of disrepair, likely to collapse or break due to weakness or age
2. Precariously constructed or worn down, causing instability and a risk of failure or collapse from structural weakness or neglect
3. In a fragile condition that compromises safety, often leading to potential breakdown or hazard due to age or poor maintenance

Etymology: "Rickety" is built from "ricket," a word meaning to move noisily and recklessly, or, in dialect use, to be unstable. Adding the suffix "-y," which turns a noun or verb into an adjective describing a quality, gives the sense of something that rattles and sways because it is loose or unsound. The base word itself is probably imitative of the clatter and wobble of a poorly built thing. A second possible source is "rickets," the bone-softening disease. On this view, a frame or structure that seems to bend and wobble would be compared to a child with rickets, whose legs bow under weight. This explanation is considered less likely than the verb route, since the sense of noisy instability fits the adjective more naturally than the sense of disease.

Synonyms: shaky, unstable, wobbly, fragile, dilapidated

Antonyms: stable, strong, solid, secure, robust