English vocabulary · B2
Rickety
/ˈrɪkəti/ · adj.
Rickety means weak and badly built, so something moves when touched and may fall apart. Old stairs or chairs can feel unsafe because their parts are loose.
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Example sentences
- The rickety bridge shook.
- She replaced a chair that looked rickety.
Word origin and roots
from English
- rickets — weak bones (from English)
- -y — having the quality (from English)
Synonyms and nuances
- WOBBLY — moves without staying steady (Moves Side To Side)
- FLIMSY — made from weak material (Too Weakly Made)
- UNSTABLE — not safely balanced (May Suddenly Fall)
Words with the same root
rickets — weak bones
- rickets — a disease that weakens bones
Lesson notes
Rickety means weak and badly built, so something moves when touched and may fall apart. Old stairs or chairs can feel unsafe because their parts are loose.
Related: wobbly, flimsy, unstable. Use rickety when weak parts may collapse.
The rickety bridge shook. She replaced a chair that looked rickety.
From English. Rickets- means weak bones. The ending -y turned that weakness into rickety.