shake

verb \ ˈshāk \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

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

Sharapova shook off any semblance of Grand Slam rust to stun Halep, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, in a thrilling opening-night performance that could vault Sharapova from curiosity onto a shortlist of contenders.

— david waldstein, New York Times, "Maria Sharapova Returns With Electrifying Win Over Simona Halep," 29 Aug. 2017
Cohn, who took the lectern afterward in a failed attempt to steer the conversation back to potholes and the federal permitting process, looked shaken.

— william d. cohan, vanityfair.com, "Gary Cohn, Trump Agoniste, Contemplates the End," 21 Aug. 2017
Reporters would go in, and then after about five minutes, come hurrying out, shaking their heads, a publicist murmuring apologetically after them.

— nancy jo sales, HWD, "Hey, Lady! My Private Audience with Jerry Lewis," 21 Aug. 2017
Bringing Silicon Valley or showbiz acumen to an embassy can shake things up and spread the alluring idea that in America anything is possible.

— janine di giovanni, Town & Country, "Does Diplomacy Still Matter?," 16 Aug. 2017
Meanwhile, in a large mason jar, shake together chicken stock, whole milk, flour, and poultry seasoning.

— marian cooper cairns, Country Living, "Stovetop Chicken Pot Pie," 9 Aug. 2017
Hosted by James Andrew Miller, whose own print histories of the Creative Artists Agency and Saturday Night Live became New York Times bestsellers, Origins promises to take listeners into the conception of anything that creatively shook the world.

— vanity fair, The Hive, "The Oral History of Curb Your Enthusiasm, as Told by Larry David," 8 Aug. 2017
At the mention of whether to pay cash or check, video played in Hammond federal court Tuesday showed former Lake County Police Chief Timothy Downs waving his hands and shaking his head.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Former chief of police, tow operator testify at Sheriff Buncich corruption trial," 8 Aug. 2017
With 4:38 left in the second quarter, Azubuike’s two-handed slam shook the backboard and rim a couple feet.

— jesse newell, kansascity, "Safety check needed after Udoka Azubuike’s rim-rattling dunk during KU’s win in Italy," 2 Aug. 2017

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

See Words from the same year

shake Synonyms

Synonyms

agitate, bucket, convulse, jerk, jiggle, joggle, jolt, jounce, judder [chiefly British], quake, quiver, shudder, vibrate, wobble (also wabble)

Related Words

rock, sway, swing; chatter, quaver, shiver, thrill, tremble; twitch; dodder, waver; flicker, fluctuate, flutter, oscillate, undulate, wave; beat, palpitate, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, pulsate, pulse, throb

Near Antonyms

accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome; catch, contract, incur

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

The four employees — Diana Rickert, Laurel Patrick, Meghan Keenan and Brittany Carl — were hired last month in a major staff shake-up that included enlisting several individuals from the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank.

— sophia tareen, The Seattle Times, "4 resign from Illinois governor’s office after cartoon flap," 24 Aug. 2017
The four employees — Diana Rickert, Laurel Patrick, Meghan Keenan and Brittany Carl — were hired last month in a major staff shake-up that included enlisting several individuals from the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank.

— Washington Post, "4 resign from Illinois governor’s office after cartoon flap," 24 Aug. 2017
Tronc, the parent company of The Los Angeles Times, abruptly replaced the newspaper’s top leadership on Monday in a shake-up that stunned many in the newsroom.

— sydney ember, New York Times, "Publisher and Top Editors Ousted at Los Angeles Times in Leadership Shake-Up," 21 Aug. 2017
During the past decade, Yahoo has endured numerous leadership shake-ups, P.R. disasters, high-profile strategic flubs, and bellicose shareholder activism.

— joe pompeo, vanityfair.com, "Can Oath, the Arranged Media Marriage of Yahoo and AOL, Avoid a Rough Divorce?," 16 Aug. 2017
Hefford consumed protein shakes, as well as lean meat, egg whites and other protein-rich foods as part of her diet regimen in preparation for bodybuilding competitions, the paper.

— max londberg, kansascity, "Bodybuilders beware: Aussie’s protein intake may have contributed to her death," 16 Aug. 2017
The restaurant, which was featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, is at 180 Inverness Plaza in Birmingham off of U.S. 280, the former location of Steak 'n Shake.

— kelly poe, AL.com, "Metro Diner opening locations in Vestavia Hills, Madison," 15 Aug. 2017
After 15 hard shakes, double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a cucumber wheel and a sprig of basil.

— by malcolm mayhew photo by andrew buckley, star-telegram, "An Aromatic Apéritif: Cork & Pig Tavern’s Garden Fresh Gimlet is delightful," 2 Aug. 2017
This follows other major summertime shake-ups, including the loss of Colette in Paris, but the gain of New York mainstays Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, and now Altuzarra to the French fashion-week calendar.

— emilia petrarca, The Cut, "Should Fashion Brands Run Like Magazines?," 26 July 2017

First Known Use of shake

1581

shake Synonyms

Synonyms

beat, eyeblink, flash, heartbeat, jiff, jiffy, minute, moment, nanosecond, New York minute, second, instant, split second, trice, twinkle, twinkling, wink

Related Words

microsecond; snatch, spurt

Near Antonyms

aeon (or eon), age, eternity, forever; infinity, lifetime

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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up shake? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

shake

Definition of shake

shakable

People Are Reading

Examples of shake in a Sentence

Recent Examples of shake from the Web

Origin and Etymology of shake

shake Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

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

Related Words

Near Antonyms

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

Learn More about shake

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066