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

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

Harper crumbled to one knee, wincing in anguish, as Phillies fans quaked with their worst possible nightmare — that their superstar first-baseman is seriously injured. —Anthony Stitt, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025

Mountains rise, volcanoes spew, and Earth itself quakes as the crust constantly remakes itself in the ceaseless cycle of plate tectonics. —Elise Cutts, Scientific American, 13 May 2025

Noun

The six-mile deep quake hit three miles from Fairview, which is about a 30-mile drive southeast from San Francisco, at 10:55 p.m. on Monday, June 30, according to the USGS. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025

There has never been a quake that seriously damaged a delta levee. —George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025

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