quaver

1 of 2

verb

qua·​ver ˈkwā-vər 

quavered; quavering ˈkwā-və-riŋ 

ˈkwāv-riŋ

intransitive verb

1

: tremble

2

: trill

3

: to utter sound in tremulous tones

transitive verb

: to utter quaveringly

quaveringly adverb

quavery

ˈkwā-və-rē 

ˈkwāv-rē

adjective

quaver

2 of 2

noun

1

: eighth note

2

: trill sense 1

3

: a tremulous sound

Synonyms of quaver

Verb

• trill

Examples of quaver in a Sentence

Verb

Her voice quavered during the speech.

He spoke in quavering tones.

Noun

There was a quaver in his voice.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

His voice has a steady resolve, avoiding the quavering hesitation of his sad-sack forebears. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 17 Apr. 2026

The governor, Tim Walz, defeated for the Vice Presidency, gets on TV, his voice quavering, saying the right things, speaking the truth, and advising courage. — Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026

Noun

Strings play a unison A that quavers under the pressure of sawing bows. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025

There was the troubadour John Brannen, who possessed a rootsy sound and a quaver that channeled Roy Orbison’s. — Brad Shoup, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, frequentative of quaven to tremble

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for quaver

• aver
• braver
• craver
• favor
• favour
• flavor
• flavour
• graver
• paver
• raver
• saver
• savor

Kids Definition

quaver

1 of 2 verb

qua·​ver ˈkwā-vər 

quavered; quavering ˈkwāv-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: tremble entry 1 sense 1

2

: to utter sound in trembling unsteady tones

a voice that quavered

3

: to say or sing with a quavering voice

quaveringly

ˈkwāv-(ə-)riŋ-lē

adverb

quavery

ˈkwāv-(ə-)rē 

adjective

quaver

2 of 2 noun

1

: eighth note

2

: a trembling sound