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
shakily adverb
shakiness noun

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 Being in the midst of a relationship — albeit a somewhat shaky long-distance one — Matt didn’t want to make a move. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 If those selections come with poor results for Indiana — via trade or via an actual pick — then their 2024 trade deadline moves could look shaky. Tony East, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 But 2023’s strikes and box office malaise, combined with predictions of production slowdowns and Netflix’s big comeback, have made things seem especially shaky for old school Hollywood in 2024. Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024 Uncertain from the start — with some legislators seeing an economic development prize but others wary of giving incentives to Monumental’s billionaire owner, Ted Leonsis — the plan’s prospects in the General Assembly have looked increasingly shaky. Teo Armus, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 Tesla's shaky status Tesla's position among the Magnificent Seven group of largest S&P 500 companies is in jeopardy as its market cap falls, placing it ninth. Detroit Free Press, 10 Feb. 2024 Importantly, Zandi said these bank failures will be limited to smaller lenders — the ones sitting on suddenly shaky office loans. Matt Egan, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024 Russia is trying to encircle and capture Avdiivka nearly two years after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Kyiv’s foothold in the town appears increasingly shaky, with its supply lines threatened. Reuters, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024 We’re already used to speaking to machines like Alexa or Siri, even though the experience can be shaky and limited. Bernard Marr, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shaky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shaky was in 1703

Dictionary Entries Near shaky

Cite this Entry

“Shaky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shaky. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids 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
shakily adverb
shakiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shaky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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