tottering 1 of 2

adjective

ˈtä-tə-riŋ How to pronounce tottering (audio)
Definition of totteringnext
as in shaking
marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements after the accident, she was only able to take a few tottering steps at a time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tottering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of totter
1
as in staggering
to move forward while swaying from side to side tottered around the house as she practiced walking in high heels

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in faltering
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side the figurine tottered precariously for a moment before falling off the shelf

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 tottering
Adjective
In the tottering years, a bathing bird or blossoming flower will raise a thrill in you like only a game winning home run or a Disney World vacation used to. — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026 Neither of them understands the other’s dynamic with Daniel, and the split-episode format keeps our sympathies teeter-tottering between each woman. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
In an accompanying cartoon, Spark is caricatured as a sulking giant, tottering above the Tuscan countryside in a pair of high heels. — Literary Hub, 9 June 2026 Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 Models are tottering on the cobblestoned Bond Street with their heels getting stuck in the rivets. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026 Now, even that tiny effort is tottering. — Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tottering
  1. shaky
  2. staggering
  3. faltering
  4. lurching
  5. wobbling
  6. teetering
  7. shaking
  8. weaving
Adjective
  • Despite the Cougars’ shaky start, with all that Pac-12 prestige, exposure and, importantly, financial income under both teams’ belts, does either have an inherent advantage over the conference’s newcomers?
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Glee reboot should pepper the series with some fun cameos from beloved characters, many of whom got cast in the later shakier seasons, as well as some of the most fun guest stars.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of shaky
Verb
  • The decision to set that tone staggering through all 10 minutes of the extended cut might scan as raw inspiration, placing Spacemen 3 on a narrow band from La Monte Young and Terry Riley to some brilliant dro)))ne future.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • As the deli’s surveillance video rolled, his client went from calmly standing at the counter with a bottle of Gatorade to staggering to the floor, clutching his leg and tearing at his pants.
    — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of staggering
Verb
  • European regulators are putting fierce pressure on Tesla regarding potential road safety issues, while faltering US sales are bringing the economic viability of an international rollout into question.
    — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Analysts noted that the brand was bucking trends among Chinese consumers, where most luxury brands have been faltering this quarter.
    — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of faltering
Verb
  • After a handful of supremely mellow releases that blended lurching ’90s breakbeats with wintry, Mazzy Star-like songwriting, their third album dives into a vat of mercurial distortion and slippery, all-consuming bass.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Irvine, who was commuting home from his job as a technician in a dark blue Volkswagen hatchback, came to an abrupt stop in free-flowing traffic, lurching to the far-right lane.
    — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of lurching
Verb
  • In addition to rewards for moving at the right speed and in the right direction and penalties for things like wobbling or jerky movement, the team introduced a novel way to keep the hand in a crawling stance during the simulated training.
    — Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The thunder sound was a combination of wobbling window of shades of the ’40s to achieve that old school thunder sound that was layered in with some newer thunderclap sounds.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of wobbling
Verb
  • But there’s also an untidiness to it, teetering on the edge of its seams, threatening to unravel but always miraculously staying in place.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • But the sum succeeds, teetering deliciously between sweet and savory.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of teetering
Verb
  • Darren Gold, who is now board president, said Gonzales-Torres falsely accused him of shaking her, prompting a city investigation.
    — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Traders woke up in a cheerful mood today, shaking off the riots in France and the rising price of oil.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of shaking
Verb
  • Combat sequences, set in the Pacific theater and filmed in Australia, look expansive and authentic, weaving around hundreds of soldiers running and shouting and shooting at once.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The process was particularly intricate, as each interlacing detail on the bodice had to be carefully constructed by weaving hundreds of meters of rouleau and while maintaining the tension and precision of the corsetry underneath.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of weaving

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Cite this Entry

“Tottering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tottering. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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