totteringly

/ˈtɒt.ər.ɪŋ.li/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtɑː.t̬ɚ.ɪŋ.li/ (ame, ipa)

totteringly — 副詞

1. moving with such a shaky, unsteady motion that a fall seems likely at any moment

1.副詞C2
釋義

搖搖晃晃地

走路或移動時搖晃不穩的樣子

moving with such a shaky, unsteady motion that a fall seems likely at any moment.

例句

After his long illness, Ignacio walked totteringly from the hospital bed to the window.

Ignacio 久病之後，搖搖晃晃地從病床走到窗邊。

totteringly + walked (manner adverb)

The toddler took a few steps totteringly before falling onto the soft carpet.

那個幼兒搖搖晃晃地走了幾步，就摔倒在柔軟的地毯上。

steps + totteringly (movement pattern)

同義詞
  • unsteadily

    more general; can describe any shaky motion, not just walking

  • shakily

    less dramatic; often used for hands or voice rather than walking

反義詞

文法句型

totteringly + verb of movement

用法筆記

Commonly pairs with verbs of movement such as 'walk', 'rise', 'stand', or 'climb'.

常見錯誤

❌He walked totteringly across the room carefully.
✅He walked totteringly across the room.
💡'totteringly' already implies unsteady movement; adding 'carefully' creates a contradiction.

2. used before an adjective to show that a person or animal is so weak, old, or inj

2.副詞C2
釋義

步履蹣跚的

因年老或虛弱而走路不穩的

used before an adjective to show that a person or animal is so weak, old, or injured that their walking is extremely unsteady.

例句

The totteringly frail woman needed both hands on the banister to climb the steps.

那位身體虛弱的老婦人需要雙手扶著欄杆才能爬上臺階。

attributive intensifier: totteringly + frail + noun; needs both hands shows extreme frailty

Feng helped the totteringly weak patient walk from the bed to the chair.

Feng 扶著那位虛弱無力的病人從床邊走到椅子那裏。

同義詞
  • unsteady

    simpler and more common; can replace 'totteringly frail' in most contexts

  • faltering

    focuses on loss of strength or confidence rather than balance

反義詞
  • steady

    firm and stable on one's feet

  • strong

    having physical strength, opposite of 'frail'

文法句型

totteringly + adjective describing a person's physical condition

用法筆記

Functions as an adverb modifying an adjective (e.g. 'frail', 'weak', 'thin', 'unsteady'), NOT as an adjective modifying a noun. The modified noun must be a person or animal — never an inanimate object.

常見錯誤

❌The totteringly man crossed the road.
✅The totteringly frail man crossed the road.
💡'totteringly' is an adverb and must modify an adjective, never a noun directly.

3. used before an adjective to describe a government, economy, or system that is so

3.副詞C2
釋義

搖搖欲墜的

組織或體制瀕臨崩潰的

used before an adjective to describe a government, economy, or system that is so unstable that failure or collapse seems unavoidable.

例句

The totteringly unstable government finally called for new elections after months of unrest.

歷經數月動盪後，搖搖欲墜的不穩定政府終於宣布舉行新選舉。

totteringly + unstable + government (institutional sense)

Analysts warned that the totteringly fragile banking system could collapse at any moment.

分析師警告，搖搖欲墜的脆弱銀行體系隨時可能崩潰。

同義詞
  • precariously

    less dramatic; suggests danger but not necessarily imminent collapse

  • dangerously

    focuses on risk of harm rather than structural instability

反義詞

文法句型

totteringly + adjective describing an institution, system, or large structure

用法筆記

Subject is always an abstract entity — a government, economy, regime, institution, or large-scale system. Not used for individual physical objects (see sense 4). This sense carries a strong implication of imminent failure.

常見錯誤

❌The totteringly old chair collapsed.
✅The totteringly fragile banking system collapsed.
💡Use sense 4 (INSECURE STATE) for physical objects. Use this sense for systems, institutions, and economies approaching collapse.

4. used before an adjective to describe an individual object or fixture that is not

4.副詞C2
釋義

不穩固的

物品或裝置固定不牢、容易鬆動的

used before an adjective to describe an individual object or fixture that is not firmly fixed or supported, making it unsafe or likely to fall over.

例句

The totteringly insecure shelf collapsed under the weight of the heavy books.

那塊不穩固的書架擱板被沉重的書本壓垮了。

totteringly + insecure (physical object instability)

The totteringly unsteady ladder wobbled dangerously every time Ava climbed up.

每次 Ava 爬上去，那架不穩固的梯子就會危險地搖晃。

totteringly + unsteady + ladder (individual fixture)

同義詞
  • insecurely

    simpler; describes anything not firmly attached or fixed

  • precariously

    implies danger from the unstable position

反義詞

文法句型

totteringly + adjective describing an individual physical object or fixture

用法筆記

Applies to individual objects or fixtures — a ladder, a shelf, a pile of items, a railing. Contrast with sense 3 (IMPENDING COLLAPSE) which refers to large abstract systems or institutions.

常見錯誤

❌The government was totteringly insecure.
✅The totteringly insecure ladder could not hold his weight.
💡Use sense 3 for governments and institutions; this sense is for physical objects that are not firmly fixed.