name
Meaning 1
A surname from German.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
teeter
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.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈtiːtə/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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General-American: /ˈtitəɹ/
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General-American: [ˈthiɾɚ]
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: T IY1 T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A teeter-totter or seesaw.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, US
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To tilt back and forth on an edge.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
- He teetered on the brink of the precipice.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To totter (move unsteadily).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To be indecisive; to hesitate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- We teetered on the fence about buying getaway tickets and missed the opportunity.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To be close to becoming a typically negative situation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- Despite appearances, the firm was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
a plaything consisting of a board balanced on a fulcrum; the board is ridden up and down by children at either end
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: seesaw, teeter-totter, teetertotter, teeterboard, tilting board, dandle board
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: plaything, toy
verb
Meaning 8
move unsteadily, with a rocking motion
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: seesaw, totter
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: move
History
Etymology
Americanized spelling of German Dieter.
Alteration of titter.
Across languages
Translations
37 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Catalan: titubejar — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Catalan: trontollar — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Czech: kolísat (na hraně) — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Dutch: wankelen — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Dutch: waggelen — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Finnish: hoippua — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Finnish: horjua — tilt back and forth on an edge
- French: basculer — tilt back and forth on an edge
- French: tituber — tilt back and forth on an edge
- French: branler — tilt back and forth on an edge
- French: vaciller — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Galician: cambalear — tilt back and forth on an edge
- German: schwanken — tilt back and forth on an edge
- German: wankeln — tilt back and forth on an edge
- German: sich winden — tilt back and forth on an edge
- German: taumeln — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Māori: tīkokikoki — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Māori: tūkokikoki — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Māori: tūretireti — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Polish: chwiać się — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Polish: kolebać się — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Portuguese: cambalear — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Portuguese: vacilar — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Russian: кача́ться (kačátʹsja) — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Russian: колеба́ться (kolebátʹsja) — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Spanish: tambalearse — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Swedish: vingla — tilt back and forth on an edge
- Bulgarian: нерешителен съм (nerešitelen sǎm) — to be indecisive
- Czech: váhat — to be indecisive
- Dutch: weifelen — to be indecisive
- Galician: titubear — to be indecisive
- Galician: vacilar — to be indecisive
- Polish: wahać się — to be indecisive
- Polish: nie móc się zdecydować — to be indecisive
- Portuguese: titubear — to be indecisive
- Portuguese: vacilar — to be indecisive
- Swedish: vela — to be indecisive
Real reading context