unstable en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ʌnˈsteɪ.bəl/
Etymology
From Middle English unstable; equivalent to un- (not) + stable.
Meanings
-
Not stable.
The structure is too unstable to stand safely.
unstable foundation
The hillside at this point is composed of shaly rock overlaid with a peaty loam which carries a growth of heather, and its unstable condition has resulted in two landslides in the course of the railway's history.
1943 March and April, “A British Avalanche Shelter”, in Railway Magazine, page 80:
-
Having a strong tendency to change.
The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike in Pennsylvania.[…]It was used to make kerosene, the main fuel for artificial lighting after overfishing led to a shortage of whale blubber. Other liquids produced in the refining process, too unstable or smoky for lamplight, were burned or dumped.
2013 August 3, “Yesterday’s fuel”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847:
-
Fluctuating; not constant.
politically unstable
The political situation remains unstable.
- (figuratively) Fickle.
-
(figuratively) Unpredictable.
All of the characters in Rocko's Modern Life are anthropomorphic animals of varying species, the vast majority of whom are mentally unstable. Murray said that he matched personalities of his characters to the various animals in the series to form a social caricature.
2024 May 29, Brie Hoffler, “Chaos Ride: Episode 2 APK”, in tialalnafi (Usenet):
-
Readily decomposable.
chemically unstable
- Radioactive, especially with a short half-life.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more unstable | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most unstable | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
photounstable · unstableness · unstable equilibrium · thermounstable · unstablyemotionally unstable personality disorder · hyperunstable
Relateds
Synonyms
labile (having strong tendency to change) · arbitrary (fickle) · wobbly · unsteady · capricious (fickle) · tottering (not held or fixed securely and likely to fall over) · instable (fluctuating, not constant)
Translations (47)
bg нестабилен (not stable) · ro variabil (not stable) · eo nestabila (not stable) · it instabile (not stable) · mi takahuirangi (not stable) · la instābilis (not stable) · fi epävakaa (not stable) · ast inestable (not stable) · el ασταθής (not stable) · it instabile (readily decomposed or decomposable) · id labil (not stable) · kmr xwenegir (readily decomposed or decomposable) · ro inconstant (not stable) · grc ἀστάθμητος (not stable) · grc ἀσταθής (not stable) · kk аумалы (not stable) · ka არამყარი (not stable) · tg нопойдор (not stable) · mi whakaroiroi (not stable) · ka არასტაბილური (not stable) · pl niestabilny (not stable) · nl instabiel (not stable) · hi अस्थिर (not stable) · es inestable (not stable) · hu instabil (not stable) · de labil (not stable) · sv instabil (not stable) · fr instable (readily decomposed or decomposable) · es inestable (readily decomposed or decomposable) · lad instavle (not stable) · ca inestable (not stable) · az sabitsiz (not stable) · es instable (readily decomposed or decomposable) · ja 不安定 (not stable) · gl inestable (not stable) · pt instável (not stable) · ka ცვალებადი (not stable) · fa ناپایدار (not stable) · mi koritaka (not stable) · de instabil (not stable) · gl inestábel (not stable) · pl niestały (not stable) · ro instabil (not stable) · fr instable (not stable) · pt instável (readily decomposed or decomposable) · hu ingatag (not stable) · ru неусто́йчивый (not stable)