tottered
past simple and past participle oftotter
totter
verb[I]
uk/ˈtɒt.ər/us/ˈtɑː.t̬ɚ/towalkwithdifficultyin a way thatlooksas if you are about tofall:
She totteredunsteadilydown thestairsin herhigh-heeledshoes.
Compare
staggerverb(MOVE)
teeter
toshakeandmovefromsidetoside:
Severaltallpilesofbookstottered andfell.
(of acompany,government, etc.) tobecomeweakerand lesslikelytocarryonexisting:
Theindustryhas tottered fromcrisistocrisisnow for twoyears.
Moving unsteadily or with difficulty
- blunder
- bumble
- dodder
- dodderer
- doddery
- have two left feetidiom
- hobble
- limp
- lollop
- lumber
- lurch
- reel
- shuffle
- squeeze
- stumble
- toddle
- toil
- totter
- tottering
- trip(someone)up
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Shaking, swinging and vibrating
Becoming and making less strong
Examplesoftottered
tottered
In English, many past and present participles of verbs can be used as adjectives. Some of these examples may show the adjective use.
During the past 25 years, the railway industry hastotteredfrom crisis to crisis and from problem to problem.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
But they have alltottered; they have all been shattered.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Now, at long last, apparently, it hastotteredand it is beginning to fall; it needs replacement.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It hastotteredfrom one crisis to the next for all of those 15 years.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Companies havetotteredin the past not because of a lack of skill among the workers of the industries but aften because of incompetent managements.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Childrentotteredabout the streets starving and emaciated.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
For the fraction of a second it seemed shetotteredthere, on her knees, gazing directly at those who had taken her life.
From
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.Having been refused the right to sell another round of bonds to unsuspecting investors, the shaky empiretottered.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.He reeled, thentotteredforward another few yards before falling.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.Hetotteredbut still talked like a gentleman, though feebly.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.We alltotteredout into the night, convinced that we were on to a winner.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.Had my soultotteredoff to sleep taking my potency with it?
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.Wetotteredtogether upon the brink of the fall.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
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