Origin: Latin suffix -able
Unstable has 8 different meanings across 1 category:
To release (an animal) from a stable.
"The farmer decided to unstable the colt so it could learn to run freely in the field."
In plain English: To make something unstable is to cause it to become shaky, unsteady, and likely to fall over or break apart.
"The chair started to wobble and become unstable under his weight."
lacking stability or fixity or firmness
"unstable political conditions"
"the tower proved to be unstable in the high wind"
"an unstable world economy"
Having a strong tendency to change.
"The political situation in the region remains unstable, shifting dramatically with every new election cycle."
In plain English: Unstable means something is not steady and might easily fall apart, tip over, or change suddenly.
"The shaky bridge was declared unstable and closed to traffic immediately."
The word unstable comes from Middle English and is formed by combining the prefix un- with stable. It originally meant not being steady or fixed in place.