teeter
/ˈtiːtə
/verb [no object, usually with adverbial]
1Move or balance unsteadily; sway back and forth: she teetered after him in her high-heeled sandals...
- Cows wander the streets, ragged children pester dogs with sticks, tailors teeter past on bicycles balancing bolts of fabric.
- My legs, which I was already teetering on with dubious balance, seemed to give out and I collapsed, curling into a miserable ball under the glass.
- I heard heavy footsteps on the porch steps and glanced over as the guy almost fell but grabbed the railing, teetering to the left unsteadily with a quiet laugh.
Synonyms
totter, walk unsteadily, wobble, toddle;
sway, rock, try to keep one's balance;
stagger, stumble, reel, roll, lurch, pitch;
Scottish stot
1.1 (often teeter between) Be unable to decide between different courses; waver: she teetered between tears and anger...
- And the market simply teeters back and forth, worrying and then feeling relieved again.
- Over the past 29 months, the family has teetered back and forth between several of the possibilities, convinced at times of one, then another.
- At the very least, feminists should be considering these legal alternatives, while the Court teeters in the balance.
Synonyms
see-saw, veer, fluctuate, oscillate, swing, yo-yo, alternate;
waver, wobble;
North American teeter-totter
Phrases
teeter on the brink (or edge)
Origin
Mid 19th century: variant of dialect titter, from Old Norse titra 'shake, shiver'.