as in dilapidated
not strong or stable and likely to break
rickety stairs a rickety old table
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Recent Examples of rickety
Instead of rickety outdoor patios with plastic partitions, diners mostly ate in dining rooms.
—
Nick Kindelsperger, Chicago Tribune, 28 Dec. 2022
At least 185 men, women and children disembarked from a rickety wooden boat Monday at dusk on Ujong Pie beach at Muara Tiga, a coastal village in Aceh’s Pidie district, said local police chief Fauzi, who goes by a single name.
—Rahmat Mirza, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Dec. 2022
One very much hopes that those acres make it through today unscathed, but that seems unlikely, and the state hasn’t yet managed to fix its rickety property-insurance system, which will make recovery harder for many.
—Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2022
Some are too rickety to reliably relocate delicate bottles and glassware without fear of a smashup, others are bereft of functional features, and still others simply don’t look attractive enough to grace your living space.
—Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 16 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for rickety
Nick Kindelsperger, Chicago Tribune, 28 Dec. 2022
At least 185 men, women and children disembarked from a rickety wooden boat Monday at dusk on Ujong Pie beach at Muara Tiga, a coastal village in Aceh’s Pidie district, said local police chief Fauzi, who goes by a single name.
—Rahmat Mirza, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Dec. 2022
One very much hopes that those acres make it through today unscathed, but that seems unlikely, and the state hasn’t yet managed to fix its rickety property-insurance system, which will make recovery harder for many.
—Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2022
Some are too rickety to reliably relocate delicate bottles and glassware without fear of a smashup, others are bereft of functional features, and still others simply don’t look attractive enough to grace your living space.
—Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 16 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for rickety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rickety
Adjective
-
The project was planned to clear the area of outdated and dilapidated buildings, to attract new businesses and promote economic revitalization.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
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The trip could also see China give the go-ahead for the UK to rebuild its dilapidated embassy in Beijing.—
Brendan Murray,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Mike Buckley designed the scenery, which includes the ramshackle cabin and children’s swing in Bountiful.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
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So now, the ramshackle Coinjock School sits in the restaurant’s backyard and his plan for restoration keeps getting more ambitious with each passing year.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rickety. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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