unstable
/ʌnˈsteɪ.bəl/ adjective, verb
Forms unstables unstabling unstabled
- adjective Not stable. “unstable foundation”
- adjective Having a strong tendency to change.
- adjective Fluctuating; not constant. “politically unstable”
- adjective (figurative) Fickle.
- adjective (figurative) Unpredictable.
- adjective (chemistry) Readily decomposable. “chemically unstable”
- adjective (physics) Radioactive, especially with a short half-life.
- verb (transitive) To release (an animal) from a stable.
Synonyms
labile instable arbitrary capricious tottering unsteady wobbly precarious mentally ill unsound fluid
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English unstable; equivalent to un- (not) + stable.
From un- (reversive prefix) + stable.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [Cf. Instable.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “unstable”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details