1
: affected with rickets
2
a
: lacking stability or firmness : shaky sense 2a
a rickety coalition
b
: in unsound physical condition
rickety veterans
rickety stairs
Examples of rickety in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
They will now be soldered together to form a financially rickety public hospital system.
—
Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
The result was a gleaming skyscraper held up by some rickety wooden boards, duct tape, and magic.
—Ian Stokes, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025
Everything looks so rickety — this stadium wasn’t built for pandemonium like this.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2025
Griff's was a cozy space inside with a small, rickety wooden patio in the front and a larger one in the back.
—Brianna Griff, Chron, 13 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for rickety
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Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
The result was a gleaming skyscraper held up by some rickety wooden boards, duct tape, and magic.
—Ian Stokes, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025
Everything looks so rickety — this stadium wasn’t built for pandemonium like this.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2025
Griff's was a cozy space inside with a small, rickety wooden patio in the front and a larger one in the back.
—Brianna Griff, Chron, 13 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for rickety
Cite this Entry
“Rickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rickety. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rickety
adjective
rick·ety
ˈrik-ət-ē 
1
: in weak physical condition
a rickety old man
2
: unsound sense 3, shaky
a rickety wagon
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