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unstable Definition

un·sta·ble (-stābəl)

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.
unstable Quotes

   Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.

—Bible (Old Testament)