What is the Latin word for unsteady?

The usual Latin words for “unsteady” are īnstabilis, gradus, tremebundus; also prōflīgō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“unsteady” in Latin

īnstabilisunsteady, unstable, shaky; inconstant, changeable, fickle gradusa step, pace; a grade; a stage, degree tremebundustrembling, quivering, shaking prōflīgōto strike or dash to the ground; to overthrow, overcome, conquer; to finish, conclude, resolve, put an end to

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

unsteady

instabilis (not firm, regular, etc.; PROP. and IMPROP.). [Vid: INCONSTANT.] An unsteady hand (in writing), vacillantes literulae (Cic.): an unsteady gait, instabilis ingressus (Liv.), gradus (Curt.): an unsteady line (of soldiers), instabilis et fluctuans acies (Liv.): an unsteady hand, tremebunda or tremula manus (e.g., of a drunken man); manus intremiscens (e.g., of a surgeon). An unsteady light, tremulum lumen († Verg.). If = immoral, profligate, Vid.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for unsteady?: The usual Latin words for “unsteady” are īnstabilis, gradus, tremebundus; also prōflīgō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.