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Rickety vs Infirm - What's the difference?

rickety | infirm |

As adjectives the difference between rickety and infirm

is that rickety is of an object: not strong or sturdy, as because of poor construction or upkeep; not safe or secure; giddy; shaky while infirm is weak or ill, not in good health.

As a verb infirm is

to contradict, to provide proof that something is not.

rickety

English

Alternative forms

* ricketty

Adjective

(er)
  • Of an object: not strong or sturdy, as because of poor construction or upkeep; not safe or secure; giddy; shaky.
    • He hesitated about climbing such a small, rickety ladder.
  • Of a person: feeble in the joints; tottering.
    • The rickety old man hardly managed to climb the stairs.
  • Affected with or suffering from rickets.

    • Synonyms

    * (not held or fixed securely and likely to fall over) precarious, unsteady, shaky, tottering, unsafe, unstable, wobbly

    infirm

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Weak or ill, not in good health.
    • He was infirm of body but still keen of mind, and though it looked like he couldn't walk across the room, he crushed me in debate.
  • * Shakespeare
    • A poor, infirm , weak, and despised old man.
  • Irresolute; weak of mind or will.
  • * Burke
    • An infirm judgment.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Infirm of purpose!
  • Fail; unstable; insecure.
  • * South
    • He who fixes on false principles treads on infirm ground.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To contradict, to provide proof that something is not.
    • The thought is that you see an episode of observation, experiment, or reasoning as confirming or infirming a hypothesis depending on whether your probability for it increases or decreases during the episode.

    Antonyms

    * (l)