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shaky Listen to audio/ˈʃeɪki/ adjective
shak·i·er; shak·i·est
[also more shaky; most shaky] 1 : not strong or steady in movement, sound, etc. : tending to shake because of weakness, strong emotion, etc.
I was so nervous that my hands were shaky. [=shaking, trembling] She took a few shaky steps before she collapsed. His voice was shaky.
2 : weak and likely to break down, collapse, or fail
a shaky ladder The company's future is looking pretty shaky. [=the company's future does not look good] a shaky economy Her commitment to the cause seems shaky. His argument/theory rests on shaky ground. [=his argument/theory is not supported by strong evidence] Their marriage is on shaky ground.
3 : not impressive or effective
the pitcher's shaky performance The team has performed better lately after getting off to a shaky start. My memory of that day is a little shaky. [=I don't remember exactly what happened on that day]
— shak·i·ly Listen to audio /ˈʃeɪkəli/ adverb
He stood shakily on the ladder. The pitcher started the game shakily.
— shak·i·ness Listen to audio /ˈʃeɪkinəs/ noun [noncount]
the shakiness of her voice

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