rickety

adjective

Definition of ricketynext
as in dilapidated
not strong or stable and likely to break rickety stairs a rickety old table

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of rickety And third, after years of gerrymandering and Republican consolidation of power, the Democratic turnout machine is exceedingly rickety. — Tad Friend, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026 They will now be soldered together to form a financially rickety public hospital system. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026 Along those lines, the rickety regional sports network model certainly is a concern, especially with the Giants owning a chunk of NBC Sports Bay Area. — Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Jan. 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 See All Example Sentences for rickety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rickety
  1. dilapidated
  2. ramshackle
Adjective
  • Instead, city staff could first more narrowly issue an order to repair a dilapidated historic building and then expedite approval for those repairs on the back end, without needing a hearing through the Historic Preservation Commission.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The zoo, which houses more than 1,600 animals, has become dilapidated over the years.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • TeamPCP, a ramshackle but extremely capable gang largely made up of teenagers, took credit for the attack, and researchers have largely corroborated the claim.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
  • When the catcher joined the Phillies, they were known for their September collapses and postseason droughts and ramshackle bullpens.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of ramshackle

Browse Nearby Words

rick
rickety
rickrack
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rickety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rickety. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on rickety

Nglish: Translation of rickety for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All