ricketyrick‧et‧y /ˈrɪkəti/ adjective 
Word Origin
a rickety old wooden chair a rickety bridge► see thesaurus at weak
Word OriginWORD ORIGINrickety
ExamplesOrigin:
1600-1700 ricketsEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- a rickety bamboo fence
- The staircase was old and rickety.
- They sat around the card table on rickety old chairs.
- We climbed up two flights of rickety wooden stairs.
- A blur of rickety shops does heavy business seven days a week.
- And despite the rickety infrastructure, computer networks are growing fast.
- In the early 1970s, Ford introduced a rickety compact called the Maverick.
- It evokes a precarious world which is so rickety that it may, at any time, collapse.
- It was a rather rickety affair that creaked embarrassingly when I sat down in it and ever after when I moved.
- On icy winter mornings, they bathe in foot tubs before the open flame of a rickety gas heater.
- Suddenly, borne across the bridge on the muddy tide, came a rickety wooden construction like a toolshed.
- They rode in the rickety wagon across the prairie until they reached a railroad track.
THESAURUSlikely to break► weak
a rickety structure or piece of furniture is in very bad condition, and likely to break easily: unable to support much weight, and likely to break: · The foundations of the building are rather weak.· an old chair with weak legs
► fragile made of a thin material that is easy to break or damage – used when something needs to be handled carefully: · a fragile china vase· Be careful of those glasses – they’re very fragile.
► delicate easy to break or damage – used especially about soft materials, skin etc: · Wash delicate fabrics separately.· This soap is good for delicate skin.
► flimsy not well-made from strong materials and so easily damaged – used about furniture, houses etc: · a flimsy plastic table· This keyboard’s very cheap but it’s a bit flimsy.
► rickety in very bad condition and likely to break – used about a building, piece of furniture, vehicle etc: · a rickety old bicycle· He lived in a rickety hut on the beach for several years.
Longman Language Activatorfurniture, cars, or machines that are in bad condition► in bad condition/shape also in a bad state especially British · When I bought the chairs they were in very bad condition.· The car's in pretty bad shape, but I'll give you $300 for it.be in terrible/dreadful etc condition/shape · It's a nice piece of furniture, but in such terrible condition you won't get much money for it.
► rickety furniture and other structures that are rickety are in such bad condition that they look as if they would break if you tried to use them: · The staircase was old and rickety.· They sat around the card table on rickety old chairs.· a rickety bamboo fence
► battered something that is battered is old and in bad condition because it has been used a lot and treated roughly: · There was nothing in his office except for a few battered chairs.· Alex and Lisa used to drive around town in a battered old Fiat Uno.
► be falling apart especially spoken if something is falling apart , it is gradually breaking into pieces, because it is old or badly made: · I need some new shoes. These are falling apart.· San Diego's public buildings are falling apart, but the city refuses to do anything about it.
► be on its last legs if something is on its last legs , it has been used so much and is in such bad condition that you will soon not be able to use it any more: · The old car was on its last legs, and Renee knew she wouldn't be able to afford a new one.
► has seen better days if something has seen better days it is not in the good condition it once was in, because it is old or has been used a lot: · The carpets, curtains, and cushions had all seen better days but still looked quite pretty.· She lived in a rambling Victorian house that had certainly seen better days.
► clapped-out British informal /beat-up American informal use this about a vehicle or machine that is so old that it does not work properly: · Of course the carpet's a mess - all we've got is a clapped-out old vacuum cleaner.· She drives an old beat-up Ford.
a rickety old wooden chair a rickety bridge► see thesaurus at weak