World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesUnstable
/ʌnˈsteɪ.bəl/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
Prone to change, failing to hold a steady position, or likely to give way.
"The injured climber stood on an unstable rock ledge." - 2
Experiencing frequent and unpredictable emotional swings or psychological distress.
"His unstable mood made it difficult to predict how he would react."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived from the Middle English 'unstable', combining the native Germanic negative prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') with the Old French 'estable', which traces back to the Latin 'stabilis' meaning firm or steadfast. Over centuries, the term has evolved from describing physical structures lacking secure foundations to encompassing emotional volatility and political unpredictability.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Unstable"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Unstable" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
instable
Transliteration: /ɛ̃s.tabl/
"La situation politique reste très instable."
instabil
Transliteration: /ɪnstaˈbiːl/
"Das Gebäude ist auf instabilem Grund errichtet."
instabile
Transliteration: /inˈsta.bi.le/
"Il tempo è molto instabile oggi."
inestable
Transliteration: /ins.taˈβle/
"La economía del país es bastante inestable."
instável
Transliteration: /ĩsˈta.vɛw/
"A conexão de internet está muito instável."
अस्थिर
Transliteration: asthir
"बाज़ार की स्थिति बहुत अस्थिर है।"
不稳定的
Transliteration: bù wěndìng de
"这个系统的运行状况很不稳定。"
불안정한
Transliteration: buranjeonghan
"그 환자의 심리 상태는 매우 불안정하다."
不安定な
Transliteration: fuantei na
"最近、天候が非常に不安定だ。"
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