Word
rickety
Phoneticsrick·ety
US/ˈɹɪkəti/
UK/ɹˈɪkɪti/
Definition
adj. describing something that is old, weak, and likely to break or fall apart. You use this for things like old chairs or wooden bridges that shake when you touch them.
adj. describing a structure or piece of equipment that is poorly made, unstable, and likely to collapse. Often used to describe furniture, vehicles, or buildings that have become shaky due to age or neglect.
Examples
“I don't feel safe sitting on that rickety old chair.”
“The hikers hesitated before crossing the rickety wooden bridge that swayed precariously over the mountain stream.”
“The archive was housed in a rickety warehouse on the edge of town, where the floorboards groaned under the weight of thousands of water-damaged ledgers.”
Examples
simple
“I don't feel safe sitting on that rickety old chair.”
contextual
“The hikers hesitated before crossing the rickety wooden bridge that swayed precariously over the mountain stream.”
complex
“The archive was housed in a rickety warehouse on the edge of town, where the floorboards groaned under the weight of thousands of water-damaged ledgers.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “rickety” in context.
Verb
01. repair rickety
“He spent the afternoon trying to repair the rickety stairs.”
verb + adj
02. replace rickety
“The school finally decided to replace the rickety old desks.”
verb + adj
03. rickety chair wobbles
“The rickety chair wobbles every time someone sits on it.”
adj + noun + verb
04. rickety structure collapses
“The rickety structure collapsed under the weight of the snow.”
adj + noun + verb
Adjective
05. dangerously rickety
“The old bridge looked dangerously rickety after the heavy storm.”
adv + adj
06. rather rickety
“We sat down on a rather rickety wooden bench in the garden.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. rickety bridge
“They carefully crossed the rickety bridge over the mountain stream.”
adj + noun
08. rickety furniture
“The apartment was filled with rickety furniture from the 1950s.”
adj + noun
09. rickety ladder
“I don't feel safe climbing up that rickety ladder.”
adj + noun
10. feel a bit rickety
“The floorboards feel a bit rickety when you walk near the window.”
11. look incredibly rickety
“That scaffolding looks incredibly rickety and should be inspected.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'seem' or 'look'.
Real-World Examples
“The sight and sound of Iranian rockets arcing overhead have become near-daily for the Palestinian Ghanem family, expelled by the Israeli military from a refugee camp and now living in a rickety shack with a thin metal roof offering little protection.” “For years, many Rohingya have embarked on rickety wooden boats to try to reach neighbouring countries, including Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia as well as Thailand, bidding to flee persecution in Myanmar or overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.” “Tibidabo perches in the mountains overlooking Barcelona and is accessed by a rickety, 100-year-old funicular.” “Russian residents of an island chain at the center of a dispute between Japan and Russia that has held up a treaty to formally end World War Two hope a diplomatic solution will lure tourists and investment to help refurbish rickety infrastructure.” Etymology
From dialectal ricket (“unstable, rickety”) + -y, and/or ricket (“to move noisily and in a reckless way”) + -y. Alternatively, and perhaps less likely, from rickets + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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