shake

verb \ ˈshāk \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: shake in a Sentence

Definition of shake

shook play \ˈshu̇k\; shaken play \ˈshā-kən\; shaking

intransitive verb

1 : to move irregularly to and fro

2 : to vibrate especially as the result of a blow or shock

3 : to tremble as a result of physical or emotional disturbance

shook with fear

4 : to experience a state of instability : totter

5 : to briskly move something to and fro or up and down especially in order to mix

6 : to clasp hands

7 : ²trill

transitive verb

1 : to brandish, wave, or flourish often in a threatening manner

protesters shaking their fists

2 : to cause to move to and fro, up and down, or from side to side especially in a repetitive, rhythmic, or quick jerky manner

shook his head in disapproval

3 : to cause to quake, quiver, or tremble

4 a : to free oneself from

shake a habit

shake off a cold

b : to get away from : get rid of

can you shake your friend? I want to talk to you alone
—Elmer Davis

5 : to lessen the stability of : weaken

shake one's faith

6 : to bring to a specified condition by or as if by repeated quick jerky movements

shook himself loose from the man's grasp

7 : to dislodge or eject by quick jerky movements of the support or container

shook the dust from the cloth

8 : to clasp (hands) in greeting or farewell or as a sign of goodwill or agreement

9 : to stir the feelings of : upset, agitate

shook her up

10 : ²trill

—

shakable

or shakeable play \ˈshā-kə-bəl\ adjective

— shake a leg

1 : dance

2 : to hurry up

— shake a stick at

: to form a conception of (as by counting or imagining) : conceive —usually used in the phrase more than one can shake a stick at

See shake defined for English-language learners

See shake defined for kids

Examples of shake in a Sentence

The ground shook during the earthquake.
The house shook as the train rumbled by.
The earthquake shook the ground.
Shake the salad dressing well before using it.
I was so nervous that I was shaking like a leaf.
The fugitive couldn't shake the police.
It's hard to shake the feeling that I'm forgetting something.
The news did nothing to shake my belief that things will be okay.
Nothing could shake his faith in God.

Recent Examples of shake from the Web

Reporter Rachael Pacella, who was injured in the attack, was visibly shaken in the moments before the ceremony began.

— mary carole mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "Capital Gazette reporter Wendi Winters remembered as 'an American hero'," 7 July 2018
Asaf Zmirly Volunteers at the Tham Luang cave in northern Chiang Rai province were shaken by Samarn's death.

— NBC News, "Thai diver dies amid cave rescue of trapped soccer team," 6 July 2018
Ice cold milk is shaken in a martini mixer and strained into the bowl.

— hannah steinkopf-frank, RedEye Chicago, "10 cereal dishes that take childhood favorites out of the breakfast bowl," 6 July 2018
To a cocktail shaker, add ice, the rhubarb gin, lemon juice, and basil leaves. Muddle the basil leaves a bit, then cover the shaker and shake vigorously.

— maya wilson, Anchorage Daily News, "Rhubarb meets gin in a rose-colored, refreshing summer cocktail," 5 July 2018
Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.

— molly baz, Bon Appetit, "Salted Watermelon Margarita," 2 July 2018
As the tough trade talk between Trump and Beijing turns to actual tariffs this week, investors confidence is shaken.

— tom hudson, miamiherald, "Testing the tempers of investors," 30 June 2018
Simmons said the girl also saw police violently shake Simmons and point a gun at the head of the girl’s grandmother.

— Essence.com, "3-Year-Old Chicago Girl Awarded $2.5M Settlement After Police Officer Points Gun At Her Chest," 30 June 2018
Suter was shaken a bit and checked by head athletic trainer Dan Wright but kept going.

— tom haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Royals 5, Brewers 4: Baseball's lowest-scoring team turns it around in a hurry," 27 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shake.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of shake

Middle English, from Old English sceacan; akin to Old Norse skaka to shake

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

shake Synonyms

Phrases

fight shy of, keep clear of, stay clear of, steer clear of;

Synonym Discussion of shake

shake, agitate, rock, convulse mean to move up and down or to and fro with some violence. shake often carries a further implication of a particular purpose.

- shake well before using

agitate suggests a violent and prolonged tossing or stirring.

- an ocean agitated by storms

rock suggests a swinging or swaying motion resulting from violent impact or upheaval.

- the whole city was rocked by the explosion

convulse suggests a violent pulling or wrenching as of a body in a paroxysm.

- spectators were convulsed with laughter

shake

noun

Definition of shake

1 : an act of shaking: such as

a : an act of shaking hands

b : an act of shaking oneself

2 a : a blow or shock that upsets the equilibrium or disturbs the balance of something

b : earthquake

3 shakes plural

a : a condition of trembling or nervousness; specifically : delirium tremens

b : malaria 2a

4 : something produced by shaking: such as

a : a fissure separating annual rings of growth in timber

b (1) : milkshake

(2) : a beverage resembling a milkshake

a protein shake

5 : a wavering, quivering, or alternating motion caused by a blow or shock

6 : trill

7 : a very brief period of time

I'll be there in two shakes

8 shakes plural : one that is exceptional especially in importance, ability, or merit —usually used in the phrase no great shakes

9 : a shingle split from a piece of log usually three or four feet (about one meter) long

10 : ³deal 3

a fair shake

See shake defined for English-language learners

Examples of shake in a Sentence

He responded to the question with a shake of his head.
Give the dice a shake.
He drank too much coffee and got a bad case of the shakes.

Recent Examples of shake from the Web

Arsenal's new manager Unai Emery has overseen a dramatic shake-up behind the scenes of the club as the Spaniard looks to implement his own style and philosophy at the Emirates.

— SI.com, "Unai Emery Makes 'Drastic Changes' to Arsenal Regime and Training Methods," 8 July 2018
The Supreme Court shake-up represents the culmination of a comprehensive overhaul of Poland's justice system that gives the ruling party new powers over the courts.

— vanessa gera, Fox News, "Poles protest the forced retirements of judges under new law," 4 July 2018
The Supreme Court shake-up represents the culmination of a comprehensive overhaul of Poland's justice system that gives the ruling party new powers over the courts.

— NBC News, "Poland's government forces Supreme Court judges to retire early," 4 July 2018
The Supreme Court shake-up represents the culmination of a comprehensive overhaul of Poland’s justice system that gives the ruling party new powers over the courts.

— monika scislowska, The Seattle Times, "Protests in Poland against government judicial overhaul," 3 July 2018
The roster was incomplete after the Kyrie Irving trade and a midseason shake-up failed to fix it.

— benjamin hoffman, New York Times, "The Lakers Got Their Man. (That’s What the Lakers Do.)," 2 July 2018
The White House has previously denied talk of impending staff shake-ups that later came to pass.

— CBS News, "Trump says "that I don't know" when asked if John Kelly is leaving," 29 June 2018
The shake-up in the press office is likely to presage more staff churn.

— gabriel sherman, The Hive, "“This Guy Is Up to Eyeballs in Shit”: Bill Shine, Roger Ailes’s Former Enforcer, Has Been Hired to Shake Up the West Wing. But Might Hope Hicks Be Chief of Staff?," 29 June 2018
Fields, who led Ford in efforts toward autonomous vehicles and mobility technology, left the company in May 2017 after a management shake-up.

— mike freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Qualcomm names leaders from Ford, Comcast to its board of directors," 27 June 2018

First Known Use of shake

1581

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

shake Synonyms

Synonyms

butterflies, dither, heebie-jeebies, jitters, nerves, shivers, willies;

Near Antonyms

aplomb, calm, composure, equanimity, imperturbability, self-possession, tranquillity (or tranquility);

agitation, anxiety, fear, hysteria, uneasiness;

frazzle, nervous breakdown;

edginess, jumpiness, skittishness;

SHAKE Defined for English Language Learners

shake

verb

Definition of shake for English Language Learners

: to move sometimes violently back and forth or up and down with short, quick movements
: to move or have parts of your body move in short, quick movements and in a way that you are not able to control
: to free yourself from (someone or something) : to get away from or get rid of (someone or something)

shake

noun

Definition of shake for English Language Learners

: a short, quick movement back and forth or up and down
the shakes : a condition in which parts of your body move in a way that you are not able to control

SHAKE Defined for Kids

shake

verb \ ˈshāk \

Definition of shake for Students

shook \ˈshu̇k\; shaken \ˈshā-kən\; shaking

1 : to make or cause to make quick movements back and forth or up and down

The ground shook.

Squirrels shook the branches.

2 : to tremble or make tremble : quiver

She was so frightened her legs began to shake.

3 : to move from side to side

I shook my head.

4 : to grasp and move up and down

After reaching an agreement, they shook hands.

5 : to get away from

She ran faster, but couldn't shake the dog.

6 : to make less firm : weaken

After being beaten badly their confidence was shaken.

7 : to cause to be, become, go, or move by or as if by using a quick back and forth motion

We can shake apples from the tree.

shake

noun

Definition of shake for Students

: a quick back and forth or up and down movement

Learn More about shake

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shake Spanish Central: Translation of shake Nglish: Translation of shake for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of shake for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shake

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shake

Definition of shake

shakable

Examples of shake in a Sentence

Recent Examples of shake from the Web

Origin and Etymology of shake

shake Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

Synonym Discussion of shake

shake

Definition of shake

Examples of shake in a Sentence

Recent Examples of shake from the Web

First Known Use of shake

shake Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases Related to SHAKE

Related Phrases

SHAKE Defined for English Language Learners

shake

Definition of shake for English Language Learners

shake

Definition of shake for English Language Learners

SHAKE Defined for Kids

shake

Definition of shake for Students

shake

Definition of shake for Students

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