unstable

Definitions

1. Not stable.
2. Having a strong tendency to change.
3. Fluctuating; not constant.
4. Fickle.
5. Unpredictable.
6. Readily decomposable.
7. Radioactive, especially with a short half-life.

Equivalents

18 more languages

Bosanskilabilannepostojannestabilannestalanneuravnoteženлабиланнепостојаннестабиланнесталаннеуравнотежен+ 7 more

Ελληνικάανερμάτιστοςασταθήςάστατος

Suomiastabiiliepästabiiliepävakainenhorjuvalabiilipysymätön+ 3 more

Galegoturbulento

हिन्दीअस्थिरतरल

Hrvatskilabilannepostojannestabilannestalanneuravnoteženлабиланнепостојаннестабиланнесталаннеуравнотежен+ 7 more

Bahasa Indonesialabil

Italianoinstabile

日本語不安定

Latinainstabilis

Polskichwiejnyhumorzastyniesolidnyniestabilnyniestałynietrwałyrozchwianywahliwyzmienny+ 6 more

Portuguêsinstável

Српскиlabilannepostojannestabilannestalanneuravnoteženлабиланнепостојаннестабиланнесталаннеуравнотежен+ 7 more

Svenskaostadig

ไทยคลอนฟั่นเฟือนเลื่อนลอย

Türkçedandikistikrarsızkararsız

Українськанестабільнийплинний

Tiếng Việtbấp bênhbất anbất địnhbất ổnchập chờnchênh vênhlảo đảolao đaotrập trùngtròng trànhvất vưởng+ 8 more

Examples

“unstable foundation”

“The structure⟳ is too unstable to stand⟳ safely.”

“The hillside at this point⟳ is composed of shaly rock overlaid with a peaty loam which carries a growth of heather, and its unstable condition has resulted in two landslides in the course of the railway's history.”

“The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike⟳ in Pennsylvania.[…]It was used to make⟳ kerosene, the main fuel for artificial lighting after overfishing led to a shortage of whale blubber. Other liquids produced in the refining process⟳, too unstable or smoky for lamplight, were burned or dumped.”

“politically unstable”

“The political situation remains unstable.”

“chemically unstable”

CEFR level