tottering
verb
Meaning 1: when describing unsteady movement
Move in an unsteady, wobbling way as if about to fall.
Examples
- The elderly man began to totter as he stood up from the park bench.
- She had to totter on her high heels across the uneven cobblestone street.
Meaning 2: when describing institutions
Be on the verge of collapse or failure.
Examples
- The government began to totter after the corruption scandal broke.
- The empire started to totter under the weight of internal rebellion.
Pronunciation: ˈtɒtər
How to Use tottering
- totter on (prepositional phrase)
- To be in a precarious state or near a specific outcome. — "The business continues to totter on the edge of insolvency."
- totter across (prepositional phrase)
- To move unsteadily from one point to another. — "The child managed to totter across the room to reach his mother."
Synonyms of tottering
Words with a similar meaning to tottering: