tottering

verb
UK: /ˈtɒtərɪŋ/
US: /ˈtɑːtərɪŋ/

  1. To stand or move in an unsteady way.

    1. The old man was tottering down the street.
    2. After the earthquake, the buildings were tottering precariously close to collapse.

  2. To be close to failing or collapsing.

    1. The business is tottering on the brink of bankruptcy.
    2. The government was tottering after a series of scandals and resignations.

Synonyms

staggering shaky unsteady rambling
tottering adjective

  1. Unsteady and about to fall.

    1. The child took a tottering step.
    2. I saw a tottering stack of books on the edge of the table.

  2. Weak or unstable.

    1. The country's tottering economy needed urgent reform.
    2. The company's tottering financial situation caused concern among its employees.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "tottering" in English means: To stand or move in an unsteady way., To be close to failing or collapsing..

The phonetic transcription of "tottering" is /ˈtɒtərɪŋ/ in British English and /ˈtɑːtərɪŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "tottering": staggering, shaky, unsteady, rambling.

Example usage of "tottering": "The old man was tottering down the street.". More examples on the page.