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# unsteady

«unsteady» in Mova's school dictionary: **not firm, likely to wobble, shake or fall: an unsteady…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adjective (unsteady, unsteadier, unsteadiest); adverb unsteadily

### meaning for a pupil

1) Unsteady means not firm, likely to wobble, shake or fall: an unsteady ladder, unsteady legs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unsteady/#m1)

2) Unsteady means not regular or changing a lot: an unsteady voice, an unsteady heartbeat. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unsteady/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In safety lessons: never climb on an unsteady chair or ladder; someone unsteady on their feet may need help. In stories, a frightened voice is unsteady. In science, an unsteady object is not stable. Phrases: unsteady on his feet, an unsteady hand, unsteady ladder.

### examples

- The old ladder was unsteady, so Dad held it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unsteady/#x1)
- After the ride, I felt unsteady on my feet. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unsteady/#x2)
- Her voice was unsteady because she was nervous. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unsteady/#x3)
- The baby took a few unsteady steps. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unsteady/#x4)
- Don't stand on that unsteady chair. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unsteady/#x5)
- He walked unsteadily across the ice. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unsteady/#x6)
- “I'll beg meat for you!” said he in an unsteady voice. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unsteady/#x7)

### note

«Un-» + «steady». Comparatives: unsteadier, unsteadiest, or «more unsteady». Similar: wobbly, shaky. Opposite: steady, stable.

### In the corpora

- [Climbing on unsteady things is a common cause of falls at home.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/294-kitchen-freezer-plugs-and-balconies/14/)
- [Pushing past people instead of saying «excuse me» can knock over older or unsteady people.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/323-greetings-handshakes-goodbyes-please-and-table-manners/23/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «unsteady» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unsteady/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.