Rickety describes something that feels shaky, unstable, and likely to break or fall apart. A rickety old chair wobbles dangerously when you sit on it, making creaky sounds that warn you it might collapse. A rickety ladder sways and bends under your weight, each rung threatening to snap.

Something rickety is structurally unsound, held together by luck as much as by nails or screws. A rickety fence leans at odd angles, its boards loose and splintered. A rickety bridge across a stream makes you step carefully, testing each plank before trusting it with your full weight.

You'll often find rickety things in old barns, abandoned buildings, or attics where furniture has sat unused for decades. When something is rickety, you can see and feel its weakness: joints that have loosened, wood that has dried and cracked, metal that has rusted through. It's the opposite of sturdy or solid. A rickety staircase announces your every step with groans and squeaks, reminding you that some things weren’t built to last forever.