quake

1 of 2

verb

ˈkwāk 

quaked; quaking

intransitive verb

1

: to shake or vibrate usually from shock or instability

2

: to tremble or shudder usually from cold or fear

quake

2 of 2

noun

: an instance of shaking or trembling (as of the earth or moon)

especially : earthquake

Synonyms of quake

Verb

• shake
• shudder
• jerk
• tremble
• vibrate
• quiver

Noun

• earthquake
• tremor

Examples of quake in a Sentence

Verb

She was quaking with rage.

The explosion made the whole house quake.

Noun

the quake registered 6.5 on the Richter scale, causing widespread damage

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

For a full twenty-seven minutes and nineteen seconds, the stadium quaked and thrummed. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Ball built a guitar with an aluminum neck and began placing his headstock on top of his amp, so that the quaking cabinet shook the strings by itself. — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026

Noun

Residents in multiple cities - such as Ventura, Ojai and Camarillo - reported feeling the quake, according to the USGS DYFI report. — Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Light to moderate shaking was reported in the vicinity of the quake, with reports that the quake was felt as far east as Palmdale, as far west as Santa Barbara and as far south as Inglewood. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English cwacian

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quake

• ache
• ake
• bake
• brake
• break
• cake
• craik
• crake
• fake
• flake
• hake
• jake

Kids Definition

quake

1 of 2 verb

ˈkwāk 

quaked; quaking

1

: to shake or vibrate usually from shock or lack of stability

2

: to tremble or shudder usually from cold or fear

quake

2 of 2 noun

: a shaking or trembling

especially : earthquake