unstable

== English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ʌnˈsteɪ.bəl/ Rhymes: -eɪbəl === Etymology 1 === From Middle English unstable; equivalent to un- (not) +‎ stable. ==== Adjective ==== unstable (comparative more unstable, superlative most unstable) Not stable. Having a strong tendency to change. Fluctuating; not constant. Fickle. Unpredictable. (chemistry) Readily decomposable. (physics) Radioactive, especially with a short half-life. ===== Synonyms ===== (having strong tendency to change): labile (fluctuating, not constant): instable (rare); see also Thesaurus:unsteady (fickle): arbitrary, capricious (not held or fixed securely and likely to fall over): tottering, unsteady, wobbly; see also Thesaurus:rickety ===== Antonyms ===== stable ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== instability unstability (rare) ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From un- (reversive prefix) +‎ stable. ==== Verb ==== unstable (third-person singular simple present unstables, present participle unstabling, simple past and past participle unstabled) (transitive) To release (an animal) from a stable. === References === “unstable”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022. === Anagrams === abluents, ant-blues, bleaunts, blue ants, tunables, unablest