shakyshak‧y /ˈʃeɪki/ ●○○ adjective 
a shaky voice Grandad was a little shaky on his feet (=not able to walk very well).► see thesaurus at weak2not sure about the exact details of something, or not likely to be completely right: My knowledge of history is a little shaky. shaky evidence3not firm or steady SYN unstable: shaky foundations—shakily adverb—shakiness noun [uncountable]
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a shaky ladder
- a shaky relationship
- Even after the long months of therapy Owen was still very shaky.
- Her grandfather was a little shaky on his feet after the fall.
- The baby's taken her first few shaky steps.
- The evidence is shaky, at best.
- A: The calves are shaky.
- After both Millie and joseph were dead, Lally would write to my grandmother in her shaky old hand.
- But most agreed, too, that the foundations of the show were shaky.
- By far the shakiest part of the calculation is the average mutation rate.
- He seemed more concerned to break than maintain the shaky truce existing between him and his father.
- Not because they made bad or greedy investments, and lost all their money in shaky stock deals.
- The Nottinghamshire opening partnership of left handers kept up the pressure on a shaky Worcestershire attack.
- When she saw where I was sitting she pushed her hands in her coat pockets and ambled over on her shaky heels.
THESAURUSnot physically strong
not physically strong, sometimes because you are ill: · Tom’s had flu and he’s still feeling weak.· The doctors said she was too weak to have an operation.· He suffered constantly from a weak chest.
weak and thin, especially because you are old: · a frail 85-year-old lady· My grandfather’s becoming quite frail now.
feeling weak in your legs and only able to walk slowly and unsteadily: · When I came out of hospital I was a bit shaky for a while.
especially disapproving small, thin, and looking very weak: · his puny white arms· He was a puny little boy who was often bullied at school.
especially written weak and unable to do much because you are very ill, very old or very young: · For a week she was too feeble to get out of bed.· a tiny, feeble baby
weak and often becoming ill easily: · a delicate child· She had rather a delicate constitution (=her body easily became ill).
formal weak or ill for a long time, especially because you are old: · a residential home for people who are elderly and infirm· There are special facilities for wheelchair users and infirm guests.
formal weak or ill because you have not had enough good food to eat: · Half a million people there are severely malnourished.· The organization provides emergency feeding for malnourished children.
Longman Language Activatorphysically weak someone who is weak is not strong enough to lift heavy things or do a lot of physical work, especially because they are ill: · When you have flu, you feel tired and weak for a long time.· The child was too weak to undergo a transplant operation.· I can't go running - I've got a weak heart.weak from/with: · The soldiers were weak from hunger and exhaustion.· She felt weak with emotion at the sight of him.
someone who is frail is thin and weak, especially because they are old: · a frail 85-year-old lady· She sat up a little straighter, raising her frail body in the bed.
not physically strong because of being very young, old, ill etc,: · My grandmother's very feeble now and needs someone at home full-time to look after her.· He did not remember his sister at all, except as a tiny, feeble baby.
someone who is fragile is so weak and delicate that they look as if they could easily be hurt: · The baby felt so fragile in his arms.· Two ambulance attendants picked up his fragile body and put him carefully onto a stretcher.
feeling weak in your legs and only able to walk slowly and unsteadily: · Even after the long months of therapy Owen was still very shaky.be shaky on your feet: · Her grandfather was a little shaky on his feet after the fall.shaky steps: · The baby's taken her first few shaky steps.
especially written a man or boy who is puny is small, thin, and looks very weak: · Pete was a puny little boy with short hair and glasses.· His wife was such a big strong woman, she made him look puny.
British informal a man or boy who is weedy is thin and looks weak: · Mouse got his nickname because he was small and weedy.
someone, especially a boy or young man, who is weak and is not willing to fight or defend himself: · Most of the kids were weaklings and were frightened of getting in a fight.
British informal someone, especially a boy or young man, who is thin and weak - sometimes used humorously: · Everyone called me a weed when I was at school because I was so bad at sports.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Grandad was a little shaky on his feet (=not able to walk very well).COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
Grandad was a little shaky on his feet (=not able to walk very well). (=morale that could easily become low)· The team's morale is shaky after their series of losses.
(=a rather bad start)· After a shaky start, they managed two wins in five matches.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· She felt very shaky and she was glad he held her arm.· Only when he was no longer in sight did she release a very shaky breath.· All the same, just thinking about it made her feel very shaky inside.· Today the couple are having counselling but the marriage is very shaky.· Otherwise it is likely that strategic analysis will rest on very shaky foundations.· But for the Thorn deal cash, the bottom line would have looked very shaky.
NOUN· Only when he was no longer in sight did she release a very shaky breath.· She drew a long, shaky breath.· He took a shaky breath, and I thought he would speak, then he bit his lip and remained silent.· Taking a deep, shaky breath, she slowly followed Leo.
· Closer analysis reveals a shakier foundation.· The hypothesis that paradoxical pain is caused by abnormal metabolism of morphine is plausible but built on shaky foundations.· The social reality constructed by the malestream approach rests on shaky foundations.· Otherwise it is likely that strategic analysis will rest on very shaky foundations.· How then can religious certainty be based upon the inevitably shaky foundation of historical investigation?
· Mu is on even shakier ground.· Jody reassured them as best she could, but she knew she was on shaky ground.· Here I must admit that I am on shaky ground.· It was solely on the last score that Cecilia, our housekeeper for the past 20 years, remained on shaky grounds.· Such sarcasm ill becomes anybody on the shaky ground that Goldschmidt here treads.· But the city of Philadelphia is hurting -- no longer near bankruptcy, but still on shaky ground.· Here Thorpe is on shakier ground.· Both organisations admit there may be occasional breaches, but says that Animal Aid is still on shaky ground.
· Once in her own room Paige wiped a shaky hand over her brow.· Constructors with shaky hands are advised to place thin card between each pair of leads being soldered and the fabric.· I stared helplessly at the announcement, written now in a very shaky hand, and did as he asked.· Though he wasn't a ghost she was still too scared to touch that small, shaky hand.
· After a shaky start, we took them to the cleaners. b.?· He converted nine in a row at one point, after a shaky start.· We took them, after a shaky start, to the cleaners.· Their work together got off to a shaky start.· In that context, 22-year-old Faulkner said the shaky start to coeducation at the Citadel was little wonder.· After a shaky start, the president now gets a better than 50 percent approval rating in opinion polls here.
WORD FAMILYnounshakeshakershakinessadjectiveshakyshakenverbshakeadverbshakily
1weak and unsteady because of old age, illness, or shock: a shaky voice Grandad was a little shaky on his feet (=not able to walk very well).► see thesaurus at weak2not sure about the exact details of something, or not likely to be completely right: My knowledge of history is a little shaky. shaky evidence3not firm or steady SYN unstable: shaky foundations—shakily adverb—shakiness noun [uncountable]