rickety
[adjective]
Synonyms: shaky, insecure, precarious, ramshackle, tottering, unsound, unsteady, wobbly

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Antonyms: stable
Contrasted words: firm, rugged, solid, sturdy, substantial, well-made
Related Words: unsound, unsteady

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English Thesaurus: condition, state, in (a) bad/terrible/awful condition, shabby, tattered, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

rick‧et‧y /ˈrɪkəti, ˈrɪkɪti/ adjective
[Date: 1600-1700; Origin: rickets]
a rickety structure or piece of furniture is in very bad condition, and likely to break easily:
a rickety old wooden chair
a rickety bridge

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

condition how something looks and whether it is damaged, working etc or not:
The price of used cars varies according to their condition.
How well your plants will grow depends on the quality and condition of the soil.
The house is in very good condition.
state the condition of something at a particular time – use this especially when something is in bad condition because it has not been well looked after:
One of the things people complain of most is the state of the sidewalks.
When I got back home, I was horrified to see what a terrible state the kitchen was in.
in (a) bad/terrible/awful condition (also in a bad state especially British English) if something is in bad condition, it is damaged, dirty, not working properly, etc:
The road was in a very bad condition.
The inspectors said the bridge was in a bad state and potentially dangerous.
shabby used especially about clothes, furniture, or buildings that are in bad condition because they are old and have been used a lot:
His clothes were shabby and ill-fitting.
They lived in a shabby one-room apartment.
tattered used about clothes or books that are old and torn:
The old man clutched a tattered copy of ‘War and Peace’.
The shirt was now tattered beyond recognition.
dilapidated used about a building that is in very bad condition because it has not been looked after:
He shared a dilapidated house with five other people.
The hotel looked slightly dilapidated.
run-down used about a building or area that is in bad condition, especially because the people who live there do not have enough money to look after it properly:
He found lodgings at a run-down motel.
We lived in a run-down part of the city.
derelict used about something such as a house or piece of land that is in very bad condition, because it has been empty for a very long time:
In the middle of town is a derelict building that used to be the school.
The land behind the factory is stony and derelict.
battered used about something that is old and in bad condition because it has been used a lot and treated roughly:
There was nothing in his office except for a few battered chairs.
Alex and Lisa used to drive around town in a battered old Fiat Uno.
rickety used about furniture and other structures that are in such bad condition that they look as if they would break if you tried to use them:
The staircase was old and rickety.
They sat around the card table on rickety old chairs.
a rickety bamboo fence
clapped-out British English informal, beat-up American English informal [usually before noun] used about a vehicle or machine that is so old that it does not work properly:
She drives an old beat-up Ford.
He was using a clapped-out old typewriter.
be falling apart especially spoken if something is falling apart, it is gradually breaking into pieces, because it is old or badly made:
I need some new shoes. These are falling apart.
be on its last legs informal if a vehicle or machine is on its last legs, it has been used so much and is in such bad condition that you will soon not be able to use it any more:
The washing machine was on its last legs.
have seen better days informal if something has seen better days, it is not in as good condition as it was:
The carpets, curtains, and cushions had all seen better days but still looked quite pretty.
She lived in an old Victorian house that had certainly seen better days.
in good condition something that is in good condition is not broken and has no marks or other things wrong with it:
The car hadn’t been used much, and was in very good condition.
The charity is accepting toys and clothing in good condition.
in good shape in good condition – used especially about a person or part of their body, or about something that has had a lot of use or is rather old:
Doctor Morrissey told her that her leg was healing well, and was now in very good shape.
To avoid accidents, it’s important to check that all your tools are in good shape before starting.
in perfect/mint condition something that is in perfect or mint condition looks as good or works as well as when it was new, especially because it has not been used or touched very much:
The book is over 100 years old, but it’s still in perfect condition.
The car had been kept in the garage for 20 years and was in mint condition.
as good as new something that is as good as new is almost as good as when it was new – used about things that have recently been cleaned or repaired:
I’ve just had the bike serviced, and it looks as good as new.
working conditions
An office must be able to provide safe working conditions.
living conditions
Living conditions in the camp were dreadful.
physical conditions
Many teachers have to work in poor physical conditions.
poor conditions
The refugees are living in camps in very poor conditions.
appalling/dreadful conditions (=very bad)
Some of the animals were being kept in appalling conditions.
overcrowded/crowded conditions
Families here are living in dirty, overcrowded conditions.
insanitary/unhygenic conditions (=dirty)
Diseases spread quickly among people living in insanitary conditions.
cramped conditions (=without enough space)
The hostages were held in extremely cramped conditions.
inhumane conditions
Live animals were transported under inhumane conditions.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

weak not physically strong, sometimes because you are ill:
Tom’s had flu and he’s still feeling weak.
The doctors said she was too weak to have an operation.
He suffered constantly from a weak chest.
frail weak and thin, especially because you are old:
a frail 85-year-old lady
My grandfather’s becoming quite frail now.
shaky feeling weak in your legs and only able to walk slowly and unsteadily:
When I came out of hospital I was a bit shaky for a while.
puny /ˈpjuːni/ especially disapproving small, thin, and looking very weak:
his puny white arms
He was a puny little boy who was often bullied at school.
feeble especially written weak and unable to do much because you are very ill, very old or young:
For a week she was too feeble to get out of bed.
a tiny, feeble baby
delicate weak and often becoming ill easily:
a delicate child
She had rather a delicate constitution (=her body easily became ill).
infirm formal weak or ill for a long time, especially because you are old:
a residential home for people who are elderly and infirm
There are special facilities for wheelchair users and infirm guests.
malnourished formal weak or ill because you have not had enough good food to eat:
Half a million people there are severely malnourished.
The organization provides emergency feeding for malnourished children.
fragile made of a thin material that is easy to break or damage – used when something needs to be handled carefully:
a fragile china vase
Be careful of those glasses – they’re very fragile.
flimsy not well-made from strong materials and so easily damaged – used about furniture, houses etc:
a flimsy plastic table
This keyboard’s very cheap but it’s a bit flimsy.
rickety /ˈrɪkəti, ˈrɪkɪti/ in very bad condition and likely to break – used about a building, piece of furniture, vehicle etc:
a rickety old bicycle
He lived in a rickety hut on the beach for several years.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

weak unable to support much weight, and likely to break:
The foundations of the building are rather weak.
an old chair with weak legs
fragile made of a thin material that is easy to break or damage – used when something needs to be handled carefully:
a fragile china vase
Be careful of those glasses – they’re very fragile.
delicate easy to break or damage – used especially about soft materials, skin etc:
Wash delicate fabrics separately.
This soap is good for delicate skin.
flimsy not well-made from strong materials and so easily damaged – used about furniture, houses etc:
a flimsy plastic table
This keyboard’s very cheap but it’s a bit flimsy.
rickety /ˈrɪkəti, ˈrɪkɪti/ in very bad condition and likely to break – used about a building, piece of furniture, vehicle etc:
a rickety old bicycle
He lived in a rickety hut on the beach for several years.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲