tremble

1 of 2

verb

trem·​ble ˈtrem-bəl How to pronounce tremble (audio)
trembled; trembling ˈtrem-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tremble (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to shake involuntarily (as with fear or cold) : shiver
2
: to move, sound, pass, or come to pass as if shaken or tremulous
the building trembled from the blast
3
: to be affected with great fear or anxiety
trembled for the safety of her child
trembler noun

tremble

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act or instance of trembling
especially : a fit or spell of involuntary shaking or quivering
2
trembles plural in form but singular in construction : severe poisoning of livestock and especially cattle by a toxic alcohol present in a snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum) and rayless goldenrod that is characterized especially by muscular tremors, weakness, and constipation

Examples of tremble in a Sentence

Verb His arms and legs began to tremble. My voice trembled as I began to speak. I opened the letter with trembling hands. The house trembled as the big truck drove by. Noun with a tremble, she ventured out into the snow
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Cold hands, trembling fingers, incorrect probe placement, even nail polish can throw a reading off by a few percentage points too. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Residents in Sterling, near Seneca Ridge and Silver Ridge drives, felt the ground tremble just before 8:24 p.m. Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024 For example, my voice doesn’t tremble during shows anymore. Billboard Japan, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2024 Maybe Mandy spent the night awake, rigid, waiting to see if Roy would get up as if to use the bathroom, say her name in a loud whisper, and then, on receiving no response, creep trembling down the stairs toward the fold-out bed. Fiona McFarlane, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 One time Lincoln’s voice even trembles a bit—but do voices tremble when they’re supposed to be internal narration? Erik Kain, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Belal Khaled / Anadolu via Getty Images The ER was jammed with dozens of children, many still trembling in fear. Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024 While there were games, or moments, to point to as improvement since that time, the overall tenor of the season was not a strong baritone but rather a trembling treble that became impossible to ignore. Jim Owczarski, Journal Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2024 Saved Stories One July morning, at a cavernous soundstage on Sunset Boulevard, amplified sound effects boomed so loudly that the walls trembled. Dave Itzkoff, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2023
Noun
Aside from those bass-like long-period trembles, the overall seismic symphony that preceded the three Fagradalsfjall outbursts suggested that magma was taking an unusual route to the surface. Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024 His booming voice put to rest rumors that age had brought a tremble to it. Mujib Mashal Jim Huylebroek, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023 Rodrigo, an actress on a Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, performed each lyric with an appropriate tremble, snicker, or sigh. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2023 As Etna fell silent, the scientists were surprised to see a series of very small trembles that seem to originate from the movement of fluids and gas underground. Maya Wei-Haas, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2023 Other stations were too far away to listen in, so the tiny tremble had been presumed to be noise. Maya Wei-Haas, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2023 The wait should make Cuban tremble. Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 16 June 2021 Yet again, the buildings tremble and the cell signals fail. Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2023 Cut the square in half and the custard inside doesn’t so much gush as tremble. Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tremble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French trembler, from Medieval Latin tremulare, from Latin tremulus tremulous, from tremere to tremble; akin to Greek tremein to tremble

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tremble was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tremble

Cite this Entry

“Tremble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tremble. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tremble

1 of 2 verb
trem·​ble ˈtrem-bəl How to pronounce tremble (audio)
trembled; trembling -b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tremble (audio)
1
: to shake uncontrollably (as with fear or cold) : shiver
2
: to move, sound, or happen as if shaken
the building trembled from the blast
my voice trembled
3
: to have strong fear or doubt
I tremble to think what might happen
trembler noun

tremble

2 of 2 noun
1
: a fit or spell of uncontrollable shaking or quivering
2
: a tremor or series of tremors

More from Merriam-Webster on tremble

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