SHAKY


Meaning of SHAKY in English

shak ‧ y /ˈʃeɪki/ BrE AmE adjective

[ Word Family: noun : ↑ shake , ↑ shaker , ↑ shakiness ; adjective : ↑ shaky , ↑ shaken ; verb : ↑ shake ; adverb : ↑ shakily ]

1 . weak and unsteady because of old age, illness, or shock:

a shaky voice

Grandad was a little shaky on his feet (=not able to walk very well) .

2 . not sure about the exact details of something, or not likely to be completely right:

My knowledge of history is a little shaky.

shaky evidence

3 . not firm or steady SYN unstable :

shaky foundations

—shakily adverb

—shakiness noun [uncountable]

• • •

THESAURUS

■ not physically strong

▪ weak not physically strong, sometimes because you are ill:

Tom’s had flu and he’s still feeling weak.

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The doctors said she was too weak to have an operation.

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He suffered constantly from a weak chest.

▪ frail weak and thin, especially because you are old:

a frail 85-year-old lady

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My grandfather’s becoming quite frail now.

▪ shaky feeling weak in your legs and only able to walk slowly and unsteadily:

When I came out of hospital I was a bit shaky for a while.

▪ puny /ˈpjuːni/ especially disapproving small, thin, and looking very weak:

his puny white arms

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He was a puny little boy who was often bullied at school.

▪ feeble especially written weak and unable to do much because you are very ill, very old or young:

For a week she was too feeble to get out of bed.

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a tiny, feeble baby

▪ delicate weak and often becoming ill easily:

a delicate child

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She had rather a delicate constitution (=her body easily became ill) .

▪ infirm formal weak or ill for a long time, especially because you are old:

a residential home for people who are elderly and infirm

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There are special facilities for wheelchair users and infirm guests.

▪ malnourished formal weak or ill because you have not had enough good food to eat:

Half a million people there are severely malnourished.

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The organization provides emergency feeding for malnourished children.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.