wobble

1 of 2

verb

wob·​ble ˈwä-bəl How to pronounce wobble (audio)
variants or less commonly wabble
wobbled also wabbled; wobbling also wabbling ˈwä-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce wobble (audio)
Synonyms of wobblenext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move or proceed with an irregular rocking or staggering motion or unsteadily and clumsily from side to side
b
: tremble, quaver
2
: waver, vacillate

transitive verb

: to cause to wobble
wobbler noun
or less commonly wabbler
ˈwä-b(ə-)lər How to pronounce wobble (audio)
wobbliness noun
or less commonly wabbliness
ˈwä-blē-nəs How to pronounce wobble (audio)
wobbly adjective
or less commonly wabbly
ˈwä-b(ə-)lē How to pronounce wobble (audio)

wobble

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly wabble
1
a
: a hobbling or rocking unequal motion (as of a wheel unevenly mounted)
b
: an uncertainly directed movement
2
: an intermittent variation (as in volume of sound)

Synonyms

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of wobble in a Sentence

Verb The vase wobbled but didn't fall over. The boy was wobbling along on his bicycle. The table wobbles a little. They have been wobbling in their support of the president's policies.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Saul Loeb | Afp | Getty Images Stocks are wobbling. — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2025 Stocks wobbled early, rebounded and then lost momentum in the afternoon. — Alain Sherter, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
Engineering and Problem-Solving: Each wobble and tumble on a balance bike is a chance for children to learn. — Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025 The stabilizers on this keyboard have been redesigned to make things stay on the level while still ensuring the keyboard is still and reliable when typing, with less wobble on the big keys like the space bar, left shift, backspace, and enter key. — Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wobble

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from Low German wabbeln; akin to Old English wǣfre restless — more at waver

First Known Use

Verb

1657, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wobble was in 1657

Rhymes for wobble

See All Rhymes for wobble

Browse Nearby Words

wobbegong
wobble
wobble plate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wobble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wobble. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

wobble

1 of 2 verb
wob·​ble ˈwäb-əl How to pronounce wobble (audio)
wobbled; wobbling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce wobble (audio)
1
a
: to move or cause to move with a jerky rocking or side-to-side motion
the baby's head wobbled from side to side
b
: tremble entry 1 sense 1
a voice that wobbles
2
: waver sense 1
his opinion wobbled
wobbler
ˈwäb-(ə-)lər How to pronounce wobble (audio)
noun
wobbly
-(ə-)lē How to pronounce wobble (audio)
adjective

wobble

2 of 2 noun
: a wobbling action or movement
the wheel had a bad wobble

More from Merriam-Webster on wobble

Nglish: Translation of wobble for Spanish Speakers

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