# rickety

/ˈɹɪkəti/ (US) · /ɹˈɪkɪti/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rickety
Updated: 2026-10-13

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Usage notes

- Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'seem' or 'look'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.