Dictionary

rickety en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹɪk.e.ti/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈɹɪk.ɪ.ti/ (UK)

Etymology

From dialectal ricket (“unstable, rickety”) + -y, and/or ricket (“to move noisily and in a reckless way”) + -y. Alternatively, and perhaps less likely, from rickets + -y.

Meanings

1. Of an object: not strong or sturdy, as because of poor construction or upkeep; not safe or secure.
   • He hesitated about climbing such a small, rickety ladder.
   • She now knew every article Mrs Dibble had to sell, and the large part of the stock that was unsaleable by reason of its damaged state. Customers turned away from rickety chairs, stands of drawers that refused to open, or had no handles, lop-sided wardrobes whose doors were out of plumb or whose mirrors were cracked. 1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 61:
2. (of a person) Feeble in the joints; tottering.
   • The rickety old man hardly managed to climb the stairs.
3. Affected with or suffering from rickets; rachitic.

Forms

Antonyms

stout · resilient · sturdy · safe · solid · stalwart · firm · rugged · secure · untottering · robust · stalworth · strong · well-built · unprecarious

Deriveds

ricketiness · ricketily

Hypernyms

fragile · ramshackle · weak

Synonyms

tottering · flimsy · craichy · rottletrap · bone-shaking · wobbly · shaky · precarious · wonky · unstable · unsteady · bockety · unsafe · creaky · unsteady · unsafe · cranky · drooping · tottering · creaking · rickety · rachitic · shoogly · precarious · tottersome · wobbly · shackly · unstable · shaky

Translations (80)

gl tangaraño (affected with rickets) · hu rozoga (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · th เปราะบาง (feeble in the joints, tottering) · es desvencijado (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · fa زپرتی (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · gl penzo (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · ru рахитичный (affected with rickets) · el ετοιμόρροπος (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · cs vratký (feeble in the joints, tottering) · th กระง่อนกระแง่น (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · el ραχιτικός (affected with rickets) · nl wankel (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · cs rozviklaný (feeble in the joints, tottering) · fa فکسّنی (feeble in the joints, tottering) · el ξεχαρβαλωμένος (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · sv ranglig (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · ht rachitik (affected with rickets) · de gebrechlich (feeble in the joints, tottering) · ru хли́пкий (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · hu ingatag (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · fr délabré (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · mi tūretireti (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · pt raquítico (affected with rickets) · fi hauras (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · hu roskadozó (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · bg рахитичен (affected with rickets) · nl krakkemikkig (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · gl inestábel (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · nl rachitisch (affected with rickets) · ht delambre (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · hu angolkóros (affected with rickets) · de klapprig (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · ru ло́мкий (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · fr boiteux (feeble in the joints, tottering) · cs nestabilní (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · th ง่อนแง่น (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · cs chatrný (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · fr rachitique (affected with rickets) · it rachitico (affected with rickets) · th อ่อนแอ (feeble in the joints, tottering) · cs vratký (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · fi riisitautinen (affected with rickets) · de wackelig (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · nl gammel (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · fa فکسّنی (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · it traballante (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · de gebrechlich (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · fr boiteux (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · ru ве́тхий (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · hu düledező (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · th เป็นโรคกระดูกอ่อน (affected with rickets) · el σαθρός (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · hu roskatag (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · de wacklig (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · ca inestable (feeble in the joints, tottering) · pt precário (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · hu ingadozó (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · cs viklající se (feeble in the joints, tottering) · nl gebrekkig (feeble in the joints, tottering) · sv skranglig (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · de rachitisch (affected with rickets) · fi hutera (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · cmn 不牢 (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · de tatterig (feeble in the joints, tottering) · mi tūoioi (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · es enclenque (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · ru трясущийся (feeble in the joints, tottering) · cmn 佝偻病的 (affected with rickets) · hu labilis (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · el ετοιμόρροπος (feeble in the joints, tottering) · fi hauras (feeble in the joints, tottering) · bg разклатен (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · hu támolygó (feeble in the joints, tottering) · lo ງ່ອນແງ່ນ (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · hu roskatag (feeble in the joints, tottering) · hu imbolygó (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · gl raquítico (affected with rickets) · hu billegő (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep) · hu tántorgó (feeble in the joints, tottering) · fr branlant (not strong because of poor construction or upkeep)