wabble

1 of 3

verb (1)

wab·​ble

less common spelling of wobble

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move or proceed with an irregular rocking or staggering motion or unsteadily and clumsily from side to side
b
: tremble, quaver
2
: waver, vacillate

transitive verb

: to cause to wobble

wobble

2 of 3

verb (2)

wob·​ble ˈwä-bəl How to pronounce wobble (audio)
variants or less commonly wabble
wobbled also wabbled; wobbling also wabbling ˈwä-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce wobble (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move or proceed with an irregular rocking or staggering motion or unsteadily and clumsily from side to side
b
: tremble, quaver
2
: waver, vacillate

transitive verb

: to cause to wobble
wobbler noun
or less commonly wabbler
ˈwä-b(ə-)lər How to pronounce wobble (audio)
wobbliness noun
or less commonly wabbliness
ˈwä-blē-nəs How to pronounce wobble (audio)
wobbly adjective
or less commonly wabbly
ˈwä-b(ə-)lē How to pronounce wobble (audio)

wobble

3 of 3

noun

variants or less commonly wabble
1
a
: a hobbling or rocking unequal motion (as of a wheel unevenly mounted)
b
: an uncertainly directed movement
2
: an intermittent variation (as in volume of sound)

Synonyms of wabble

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Verb (2)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of wabble in a Sentence

Verb (2) The vase wobbled but didn't fall over. The boy was wobbling along on his bicycle. The table wobbles a little. They have been wobbling in their support of the president's policies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The thunder sound was a combination of wobbling window of shades of the ’40s to achieve that old school thunder sound that was layered in with some newer thunderclap sounds. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 Some lab will claim frontier quality at a fraction of frontier cost, the chip complex will wobble, and the January 2025 template will get another run. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
Every stone should sit at an identical height with no wobble or movement. — Pooja Mistry, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Any kind of intel that could cause an investor to speculate about future sales, even a tiny blip or wobble noted by someone on a company’s management team, may set off some stock selling. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wabble

Word History

Etymology

Verb (2)

probably from Low German wabbeln; akin to Old English wǣfre restless — more at waver

First Known Use

Verb (2)

1657, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of wabble was in 1657

Rhymes for wabble

See All Rhymes for wabble

Browse Nearby Words

Wabash
wabble
wabby
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wabble. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wabble

Nglish: Translation of wabble for Spanish Speakers

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