Tottered: meaning, definitions and examples
๐ถโโ๏ธ
tottered
[ หtษtษrd ]
movement unsteadily
To totter means to walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall. This term is often used to describe an unbalanced or wobbling gait, typically due to weakness, age, or intoxication.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- The old man tottered down the street.
- She tottered on her high heels at the party.
- The toddler tottered as he learned to walk.
- After the rollercoaster, he tottered back to his friends.
figurative decline
In a figurative sense, to totter can also mean to be weak or unstable in a particular situation, often referring to institutions, economies, or conditions that are in jeopardy or decline.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- The company tottered on the brink of bankruptcy.
- Political stability in the region has tottered in recent months.
- His grasp on reality seemed to totter as the situation worsened.
Translations
Translations of the word "tottered" in other languages:
๐ต๐น balbuciar
๐ฎ๐ณ เคฒเคกเคผเคเคกเคผเคพเคจเคพ
๐ฉ๐ช torkeln
๐ฎ๐ฉ terhuyung-huyung
๐บ๐ฆ ะบัะปัะณะฐัะธ
๐ต๐ฑ chwiejฤ cy siฤ
๐ฏ๐ต ใใใใ
๐ซ๐ท chanceler
๐ช๐ธ tambalear
๐น๐ท sendelemek
๐ฐ๐ท ํ์ฒญ๊ฑฐ๋ฆฌ๋ค
๐ธ๐ฆ ูุชุนุซุฑ
๐จ๐ฟ kolรญbat se
๐ธ๐ฐ kolรญsaลฅ sa
๐จ๐ณ ๆๆๆๆ
๐ธ๐ฎ zavijati
๐ฎ๐ธ dalla
๐ฐ๐ฟ ัะฐะปัั ะฑะฐัั
๐ฌ๐ช แแแแแแแแ
๐ฆ๐ฟ sรผrรผลmษk
๐ฒ๐ฝ tambalear
Word origin
The word 'totter' has its origins in Middle English 'totteren', which comes from the Old English 'toterian', meaning 'to sway or to stagger'. It is related to the Proto-Germanic '*tutรด', which indicates an unsteady form of movement. The word has been part of the English lexicon since at least the 14th century, reflecting a transient and unstable manner of walking, commonly associated with the elderly or those affected by some form of impairment, either physical or environmental. Over time, the usage of 'totter' expanded beyond its literal meaning to encompass a broader use in describing fragile or precarious situations, often highlighting a state of vulnerability in multiple contexts.