instability
gb/ˌɪnstəbˈɪlɪti/ us/ˌɪnstəbˈɪlɪti/
B2
Inglés
~ 7300
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
B2
state
1
state of being unstable or insecure
a state where something is not steady or safe and may change or fail suddenly
Patrón de uso:
instability in [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use *instability* when they only mean a normal change, where *change* or *variation* would be better. *Instability* suggests that the change is a problem or risk. Also, learners may say *instability on something* instead of the more natural *instability in something* or *instability of something*.
Sinónimos
uncertainty (focuses more on not knowing what will happen, rather than on physical or structural unsteadiness.)
|
volatility (often used for markets or situations that change very quickly and strongly.)
Antónimos
stability (the direct opposite: a state where things are steady, predictable, and not likely to change suddenly.)
|
security (emphasizes safety and low risk of harm or failure.)
Colocaciones
political instability
|economic instability
|market instability
|period of instability
|signs of instability
|instability in [the area/region]
Temas
society
|business
|science
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The country has suffered years of political and economic instability.
- Recent price instability has made it difficult for small businesses to plan ahead.
- Structural instability in the building forced the owners to close it to the public.
- Any instability in the network can disrupt online services for millions of users.
- Weather instability in the region has led to sudden storms and flooding.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- There is a lot of political instability in that country.
- Price instability makes it hard for people to plan their money.
- The bridge was closed because of instability in its structure.
- Instability in the weather caused many delays at the airport.
- The company failed after a long period of financial instability.
Sustantivo
C1
state
2
unsteady or unpredictable emotions
a state where a person’s feelings or actions change a lot and are not steady
Patrón de uso:
emotional instability in [someone]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse *instability* with *unhappiness* or *stress*. *Instability* suggests frequent, unpredictable changes, not just feeling bad. Also, saying *he is instability* is incorrect; you should say *he has emotional instability* or *he is emotionally unstable*.
Sinónimos
unsteadiness (a general word for not being steady; less technical and less often used for mental health contexts.)
|
volatility (suggests very sudden and strong emotional changes, often anger or excitement.)
Antónimos
emotional stability (the direct opposite: calm, balanced emotions that do not change suddenly.)
|
steadiness (emphasizes reliable, consistent behavior or feelings.)
Colocaciones
emotional instability
|mental instability
|show signs of instability
|personality instability
|psychological instability
|instability in relationships
Temas
emotions
|psychology
|health
Ejemplos
- Her emotional instability made it difficult for her to hold a long-term job.
- The therapist was concerned about signs of mental instability after the accident.
- His sudden mood changes suggested a deep emotional instability.
- The court questioned his decisions because of his history of psychological instability.
- Long-term stress can lead to emotional instability and burnout.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He has emotional instability and often cries or gets angry quickly.
- The doctor talked with her about her mental instability.
- His friends worry about his instability after the breakup.
- Emotional instability can make relationships very hard.
- The teacher saw signs of instability in the student’s behavior.
Sustantivo
technical
C1
state
3
system’s tendency to leave equilibrium
in science or engineering, a state where a system moves further away from balance after a small change instead of going back to normal
Patrón de uso:
instability of [a system/process]
Error frecuente:
Learners may not realize that in technical fields, *instability* has a specific meaning related to equilibrium and small disturbances, not just general change. Also, they sometimes say *instability on the system* instead of the correct *instability of the system* or *instability in the system*.
Sinónimos
non-equilibrium behavior (a technical phrase that focuses on movement away from equilibrium, but less specific about sensitivity to small disturbances.)
Antónimos
stability (in technical fields, the property of returning to equilibrium after a small disturbance.)
Colocaciones
structural instability
|dynamic instability
|thermal instability
|numerical instability
|system instability
|instability of the system
Temas
science
|engineering
|mathematics
|technology
Ejemplos
- The bridge collapsed due to unexpected structural instability under high winds.
- Thermal instability in the reactor must be avoided through constant monitoring.
- The aircraft design was abandoned after tests revealed dynamic instability at high speeds.
- Numerical instability caused the simulation results to diverge rapidly from realistic values.
- Engineers are studying the instability of the system under heavy load conditions.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Engineers tested the bridge for structural instability.
- They worry about instability in the nuclear reactor.
- Dynamic instability can make an airplane unsafe.
- Numerical instability made the computer model useless.
- The experiment showed instability of the system at high temperature.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
instability
AFI
GB/ˌɪnstəbˈɪlɪti/
US/ˌɪnstəbˈɪlɪti/
Sílabas y acento
in - stabil - ity (3 sílabas)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ity)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: instability
- Plural: instabilities, instability
Familia de palabras
Forms
instabilities
noun
Related words
stabilization
noun
stabilizer
noun
Advanced or less common
destabilize
verb C1
destabilization
noun
Expresiones
economic instability
1/ˌɛkənˈɑmɪk ˌɪnstəbˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
unsteady or risky economic condition
a situation where an economy has many problems, like fast changes in prices or jobs, and may go into crisis
Ejemplos
- Rising inflation is a clear sign of economic instability.
- Economic instability has increased the gap between rich and poor.
- The new policy aims to reduce economic instability and protect jobs.
emotional instability
1/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl ˌɪnstəbˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
unsteady or changeable emotions
a state where a person’s feelings change quickly and are not calm or steady
Ejemplos
- The doctor said her emotional instability might be related to long-term stress.
- Emotional instability can make it hard to keep healthy relationships.
- His emotional instability was clear from his sudden shifts between anger and tears.
instability in the market
1/ˌɪnstəbˈɪlɪti ˈɪn ðə mˈɑɹkɪt/
fixed phrase
unsteady and changing market conditions
a situation where prices or values in a market go up and down quickly and are hard to predict
Ejemplos
- Instability in the market has scared many small investors.
- The company delayed its launch because of instability in the market.
- Banks are trying to limit the effects of instability in the market.
instability in the region
1/ˌɪnstəbˈɪlɪti ˈɪn ðə ɹˈid͡ʒən/
fixed phrase
unrest or disorder in an area
a situation where there are many problems or conflicts in a part of the world
Ejemplos
- Instability in the region has affected trade and tourism.
- Diplomats met to discuss growing instability in the region.
- Instability in the region could spread to neighboring countries.
period of instability
1/pˈɪɹiəd əv ˌɪnstəbˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
time when things are unstable
a time when a situation is not steady and may change or fail suddenly
Ejemplos
- The company went through a short period of instability after the merger.
- Teenagers often experience a period of instability as they grow and change.
- The region is entering a new period of instability after the elections.
political instability
1/pəlˈɪtɪkəl ˌɪnstəbˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
unsteady or unsafe political situation
a situation where the government or politics of a country often change or may break down
Ejemplos
- Foreign investors are worried about political instability in the region.
- The revolution ended years of political instability in the country.
- Political instability has led many people to leave and look for work abroad.
signs of instability
1/sˈaɪnz əv ˌɪnstəbˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
early signs something is unstable
things you can see or measure that show something is starting to become unstable
Ejemplos
- Experts saw early signs of instability in the housing market.
- Cracks in the wall were signs of instability in the building.
- The manager ignored signs of instability in the team until it was too late.