teeter

[/ˈtiːtər/]

verb

balançar, oscilar, bambolear

1. to move unsteadily back and forth; to rock or sway

The stack of books teetered on the edge of the table.

A pilha de livros balançava na beira da mesa.

2. to be in an unstable or precarious position; to be on the verge of something

The company is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

A empresa está à beira do colapso financeiro.

3. to move with short, unsteady steps

The toddler teetered across the room on unsteady legs.

A criança pequena caminhava oscilando pela sala em pernas instáveis.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Regional Variations

General Brazilian

balançar, oscilar, bambolejar

Most common usage in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro

balançar, mexer-se

Colloquial preference for simpler terms

São Paulo

oscilar, balançar

Formal and informal contexts

Portugal

bambolear, oscilar, balançar-se

European Portuguese variant

teeter on the brink/edge of something

teeter-totter (American English for seesaw)

teeter on the verge of collapse

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