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unstable Definition

un·sta·ble (-stā′bəl)

adjective

not stable; specif.,

  1. not fixed, firm, or steady; easily upset or unbalanced
  2. changeable; variable; fluctuating
  3. unreliable; fickle
  4. emotionally unsettled
  5. Chem. tending to decompose or change into other compounds

Etymology: ME

  • unstack
  • unstained
  • unstalked
  • unstamped
  • unstandardized
  • unstarched
  • unstarred
  • unstated
  • unstatesmanlike

unstable Related Forms

un·sta′·ble·ness noun un·sta′·bly adverb

unstable Synonyms

unstable

modif.

  1. Having a high center of gravity

    unsteady, wavering, unbalanced, giddy, wobbly, wiggly, weaving, shifty, precarious, top-heavy, teetering, shifting, uncertain, rattletrap, beetling, jutting, lightly balanced.

    Antonyms firm*, steady*, solid. *

  2. Easily disturbed

    variable, changeable, inconstant, giddy, capricious, fluctuating, shifty, volatile, rootless, dizzy, unpredictable, uncertain, sensitive, oversensitive, thin-skinned, timid, delicate.

  3. Subject to fission

    fissionable, fissiparous, fractionable; see weak 2. See syn. study at inconstant.

unstable Usage Examples

Preposition: at

speed: Ryan Farquhar on the MSS Discovery Kawasaki was the early leader, but retired as the bike was proving unstable at high speeds.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

make: Even when the injury has healed, scar tissue can cause epilepsy by making electrical activity unstable in that area of the brain.

Modifies a noun

  • angina: People with frequent angina pains or unstable angina should avoid flying.
  • manifold: The most frequently used example is the unstable manifold of a periodic orbit that just lost its stability in a period-doubling bifurcation.
  • equilibrium: The origin is an unstable equilibrium corresponding to the vertical position above the pivot.
  • orbit: Such unstable orbits can be stabilized by tiny control forces.
  • boulder: Description: Boulders were removed from the entrance to facilitate entry to a 2m free climb down past unstable boulder to a tight rift.
  • nucleus: H Be able to attribute this decrease in activity to a corresponding decrease in the number of unstable nuclei.

Modifying Another Word

  • inherently: Access via the Internet The internet is an inherently unstable medium.
  • mentally: Let's hope the sudden absence of Big Brother doesn't tip our mentally unstable friends over the edge.
  • structurally: Artificial constructs are well-known to be structurally unstable ( 7 ).
  • haemodynamically: It covers paroxysmal, persistent and permanent AF, considers AF developing after surgical procedures, and offers advice on haemodynamically unstable AF.
  • dangerously: The area below the Great Aven in Simpsons Pot, Kingsdale is dangerously unstable.
  • emotionally: This aspect can cause you to be somewhat emotionally unstable.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: My gait became unstable; my arms became weak; I dropped things; doing my hair became a chore.
  • appear: The possible route onwards appears unstable with boulders in clay.
  • remain: The patient's condition remained unstable requiring further blood replacement.
  • prove: Ryan Farquhar on the MSS Discovery Kawasaki was the early leader, but retired as the bike was proving unstable at high speeds.
  • seem: Dave Yates Should be a great box but seems slightly unstable.
  • feel: The criteria for discharge are that the patient should be able to walk unaided without stumbling or feeling unstable.