wackeln

Definition & meaning

• To wobble or wiggle: This is the most common usage, referring to an object or a part of the body that moves unsteadily from side to side or back and forth. For example, a loose tooth might wobble (der Zahn wackelt).
• To be shaky or unstable: It can describe a situation or a position that is not secure. If an agreement or a person's status is uncertain, one might say es wackelt (it is shaky/in jeopardy).
• To walk unsteadily: It can refer to a person or animal walking with a swaying or clumsy gait, similar to waddling.

Grammar & Word origin

• Grammar: wackeln is a weak, intransitive verb. It takes the auxiliary verb haben in the perfect tense (hat gewackelt).
• Word origin: It stems from Middle High German wackelen, which is a frequentative form of wacken (to move, to shake). It is related to the word wackelig ? (wobbly).

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

• schwanken ? (to sway or fluctuate)
• beben ? (to tremble or quake)
• zittern ? (to shake or shiver)
• wanken ? (to stagger or totter)
• schlottern ? (to shake or rattle)

Antonyms:

• feststehen ? (to be fixed or established)
• erstarren ? (to freeze or become rigid)
• ruhen ? (to rest or be still)