Standard Lemma guide

destabilize

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /diːˈsteɪbɪlaɪz/
  • Philippines: /dɪˈstæbɪlaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S T EY1 B AH0 L AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make something unstable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To become unstable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

make unstable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Terrorism destabilized the government

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: destabilise

Antonyms: stabilize

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

4

verb

Meaning 4

become unstable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The economy destabilized rapidly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: destabilise

Antonyms: stabilize

Broader terms: change

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h1 Proto-Indo-European *déh1 Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English stable Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English stabilize English destabilize From de- + stabilize.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ապակայունացնել (apakayunacʻnel) — to make something unstable
  • Belarusian: дэстабілізава́ць (destabilizavácʹ) — to make something unstable
  • Catalan: desestabilitzar — to make something unstable
  • Chinese Mandarin: 動搖 /动摇 (dòngyáo) — to make something unstable
  • Dutch: destabiliseren — to make something unstable
  • Finnish: horjuttaa — to make something unstable
  • Finnish: tehdä epävakaaksi — to make something unstable
  • Finnish: epävakauttaa — to make something unstable
  • French: déstabiliser — to make something unstable
  • German: destabilisieren — to make something unstable
  • Hungarian: destabilizál — to make something unstable
  • Italian: destabilizzare — to make something unstable
  • Polish: destabilizować — to make something unstable
  • Polish: zdestabilizować — to make something unstable
  • Russian: дестабилизи́ровать (destabilizírovatʹ) — to make something unstable
  • Spanish: desestabilizar — to make something unstable
  • Swedish: destabilisera — to make something unstable
  • Ukrainian: дестабілізува́ти (destabilizuváty) — to make something unstable
  • Finnish: horjua — to become unstable
  • Finnish: tulla epävakaaksi — to become unstable
  • Finnish: epävakautua — to become unstable
  • French: se déstabiliser — to become unstable
  • German: sich destabilisieren — to become unstable
  • Polish: destabilizować się — to become unstable
  • Polish: zdestabilizować się — to become unstable
  • Russian: дестабилизи́роваться (destabilizírovatʹsja) — to become unstable