UNSTEADY Synonyms: 148 Similar and Opposite Words

unsteady

adjective

Definition of unsteady

as in sporadic

lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence a year of unsteady economic growth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in volatile

likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly in the days of sailing ships, mariners were constantly at the mercy of unsteady winds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unstable

not being in or able to maintain a state of balance cautiously climbed up the unsteady ladder

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in uneven

not staying constant unsteady business conditions that rattled investors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unsteady Snitker pointed to broader economic unease — including unsettled inflation, shifting tariff policy and a Federal Reserve that has yet to commit to a clear rate path — as a backdrop that has left the market feeling unsteady without destabilizing it. — Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 11 Sep. 2026 O'Donnell said those terrain warnings reinforce that the plane was unsteady and suggest it may not have been configured correctly for landing. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026 But there are gaps where the chain has disappeared making an unsteady road frighteningly dangerous. — Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 So even if the Switch 2’s frame rate is unsteady, the handheld screen will hide the stutters and dips. — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsteady

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsteady

Adjective

Only some regional operators have continued sporadic services, generally using smaller feeder vessels.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
That said, devolving tropical storms can pack a punch with sporadic gusts and showers as the energy that was formerly bundled in the storm’s center releases outward.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of sporadic

Adjective

Together, the tools could help accelerate the development of more resilient electric motor systems while reducing the risks associated with critical material shortages, volatile supply chains and rapidly changing global markets.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Daily crude flows are very volatile, with only 3 million barrels of crude transiting Hormuz on Monday while 6 million barrels passed through the strait on Friday, according to Kpler.

— Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of volatile

Adjective

Since Oppenheim and Fielder can’t record her there, their contact is mediated through her seemingly unstable and controlling husband, Billy Evans.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
Lycopene can help protect blood vessels from the damaging effects of unstable molecules known as free radicals.

— MD Published, Verywell Health, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of unstable

Adjective

Rising case rates in women under 50, new federal rules on breast density notification and the uneven rollout of 3D mammography are reshaping when and how women get screened.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Grass, uneven ground, tiny puddles, and random objects can become major obstacles when the machine is barely taller than them.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of uneven

Adjective

Ohtani has been playing with a bad knee and biceps for three months, and the Dodgers already have tried intermittent rest.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
The amount of daylight, cool temperatures, and intermittent rain in autumn mimic what happens in spring when the peepers actively court and mate.

— Sheryl DeVore, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of intermittent

Adjective

Jeff Shields, a spokesperson for PJM, said electricity demand is growing faster than new generating capacity can come online, while unpredictable weather is leaving fewer opportunities for critical maintenance and construction.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Loos, who was thirty-one, was known to express displeasure in hot and angry bursts and could be unpredictable.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of unpredictable

Adjective

With the Patriots and Bills accounting for four games on the schedule, the Jets can’t keep treating divisional victories as occasional breakthroughs.

— Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
For most of human history, our Sun’s occasional tantrums have been of little concern to those of us living on Earth’s surface.

— Mike McRae October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of occasional

Browse Nearby Words

unsteadiness

unsteady

unsterile

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“Unsteady.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsteady. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unsteady

adjective

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