tremble

[ trem-buhl ]

verb (used without object)

, trem·bled, trem·bling.

1. to shake involuntarily with quick, short movements, as from fear, excitement, weakness, or cold; quake; quiver.

   Synonyms: shudder

2. to be troubled with fear or apprehension.
3. (of things) to be affected with vibratory motion.

   Synonyms: oscillate

4. to be tremulous, as light or sound:

   His voice trembled.

noun

1. the act of trembling.
2. a state or fit of trembling.
3. trembles, (used with a singular verb)
   1. Pathology. milk sickness.
   2. Veterinary Pathology. a toxic condition of cattle and sheep caused by the eating of white snakeroot and characterized by muscular tremors.

tremble

/ ˈtrɛmbəl /

verb

1. to vibrate with short slight movements; quiver
2. to shake involuntarily, as with cold or fear; shiver
3. to experience fear or anxiety

noun

1. the act or an instance of trembling

Derived Forms

• ˈtrembly, adjective
• ˈtremblingly, adverb
• ˈtrembling, adjective

Other Words From

• trembling·ly adverb
• un·trembling adjective
• un·trembling·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of tremble¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English trem(b)len (verb), from Old French trembler, from Vulgar Latin *tremulāre, derivative of Latin tremulus tremulous

Word History and Origins

Origin of tremble¹

C14: from Old French trembler , from Medieval Latin tremulāre , from Latin tremulus quivering, from tremere to quake

Synonym Study

See shake.

Example Sentences

The city, the state, the whole land, were ready to rise and tremble before the Pallid Mask.

From The Daily Beast

He began to read, raising his eyebrows with a puzzled, whimsical air, which made me tremble with suppressed anger.

From The Daily Beast

But it was also the kind of determination that made tyrants tremble, even in the closing days of her time as prime minister.

From The Daily Beast

Who is this woman going toe-to-toe with Wintour, when all others appear to tremble, and who excels because of it?

From The Daily Beast

I just tremble when I think about how tremendous this moment is.

From The Daily Beast

She looked both as she permitted her full red mouth to tremble and his arms to take sudden possession of her.

From Project Gutenberg

Softly tremble in the delicate blue mist and the azure spirals from his old Virginia clay—the domes of a sea-bathed city.

From Project Gutenberg

From time to time I felt my companion's arm tremble convulsively, as if he shivered from head to feet.

From Project Gutenberg

At seven o'clock, a horrible din makes you start up in bed and tremble from head to foot.

From Project Gutenberg

Aunt Harriet began to tremble, and Sara Lee went over and put her young arms about her.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• flutter
• quiver
• shiver
• shudder
• throb
• wobble