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totter

[/ˈtɑːtər/]
verb
cambalear, oscilar, vacilar
1. to move unsteadily from side to side, as if about to fall
The old man tottered along the street with his cane.
O idoso cambaleava pela rua com sua bengala.
2. to be in an unstable or precarious condition; to be on the verge of collapse
The government's authority began to totter after the scandal.
A autoridade do governo começou a vacilar após o escândalo.
3. to sway or rock back and forth
The stack of books tottered dangerously on the edge of the table.
A pilha de livros oscilava perigosamente à beira da mesa.
Synonyms
wobbleswaystaggerteeterfalterwaver
Antonyms
stabilizesteadybalancesecure

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
cambalear, oscilar
most common usage
Portugal
cambalear, bambolejar
bambolejar is more common in European Portuguese
São Paulo
cambalear, oscilar
standard usage

Related Idioms & Phrases

on the brink of tottering
totter on the edge
make something totter
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