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
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
His commitment to America's European allies is shaky at best, and nobody in their right minds still believes that Trump would endanger New York or Washington to attack—let alone to nuke—Moscow or Saint Petersburg in defense of Warsaw or Paris.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
Several momentum stocks that are part of the artificial intelligence trade have been shaky since the emergence of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek in late January.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2025
But the ads have taken X’s shaky infrastructure and content-farm feeling from bad to unbearable.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025
Ultimately, what happens with the shaky insurance industry could guide the future of development, perhaps as much as any government policy, or more so.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shaky
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
Several momentum stocks that are part of the artificial intelligence trade have been shaky since the emergence of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek in late January.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2025
But the ads have taken X’s shaky infrastructure and content-farm feeling from bad to unbearable.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025
Ultimately, what happens with the shaky insurance industry could guide the future of development, perhaps as much as any government policy, or more so.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025
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 Mar. 2025.
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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