shake

verb \ ˈshāk \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

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

The friend was shaken but unhurt, according to court documents.

— rafael olmeda, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Man charged with felony won't give up guns. New law lets cops put him behind bars.," 9 Apr. 2018
But when that list includes names of beloved artists associated with social progress, such as Bill Cosby, Sherman Alexie and Al Franken, we are shaken on an even deeper level.

— kareem abdul-jabbar, The Hollywood Reporter, "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: My Bill Cosby Friendship and When Bad People Make Good Art," 9 Apr. 2018
Patterson posed for pictures, shook hands, and thanked fans, approximately 1,500 to 2,000 of them, for braving the elements for the game.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "TCU spring game has a winter vibe but Gary Patterson keeps warm outlook | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 7 Apr. 2018
Garner was visibly shaken during Thursday's pregame ceremony, weeping as flowers were stacked on a chair on the Desert Vista bench.

— richard obert, azcentral, "Desert Vista's Alex DePriest helped others by donating organs," 6 Apr. 2018
She was genuinely shaken by the frat boy who assaulted her, and genuinely wants to make the world a better place for women.

— constance grady, Vox, "The Female Persuasion is a brutally intimate novel about intergenerational feminism," 5 Apr. 2018
The alliance has not been shaken by new faces, Varricchio added.

— joseph n. distefano, Philly.com, "Italy's man in America: On Trump, Pompeo, populism, identity, and the NATO Alliance," 30 Mar. 2018
His ceremonial-grade matcha with yuzu is shaken in a cocktail shaker, and his dry matcha and soda stirred in glass barware.

— jean trinh, Los Angeles Magazine, "A Sneak Peek at the Cocktail-Inspired Coffee Drinks Coming to Koreatown," 30 Mar. 2018
Red Bulls coach Jesse March shook off the notion club’s schedule would lead to players being rested for the match against Orlando City.

— jordan culver, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando City midfielder Sacha Kljestan eager to beat New York Red Bulls," 30 Mar. 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

On a potential shake-up at the Justice Department, Trump has been receiving a range of advice and has sent mixed signals about his intentions.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Analysis: Trump chooses impulse over strategy as crises mount," 12 Apr. 2018
White House deputy national security adviser for strategy Nadia Schadlow has resigned amid the ongoing shake-up of the National Security Council in the first week of John Bolton’s tenure.

— brooke singman, Fox News, "Deputy national security adviser Nadia Schadlow resigns on Bolton's third day at White House," 11 Apr. 2018
At the State Department, the shake-up was met with a mixture of relief and trepidation.

— Washington Post, "Nominee to lead State Dept.: Soft policy on Russia ‘over’," 11 Apr. 2018
As if the world of television hasn’t had enough shake-ups lately, a potential power player has emerged in the prestige TV game: Fox Searchlight has launched a new TV division.

— laura bradley, HWD, "What Fox Searchlight’s New TV Division Means for the Future of Prestige TV," 11 Apr. 2018
San Francisco has always been a big union town, so news of a shake-up at the top of the city’s labor organizations is worth noting.

— dominic fracassa, San Francisco Chronicle, "SF labor leaders shuffle positions after one official retires," 9 Apr. 2018
Block said of the shake-up in the industry caused by Amazon.

— john tuohy, Indianapolis Star, "Kroger drops plan for Fishers superstore and the Amazon-Whole Foods deal could be why," 9 Apr. 2018
Police searched the car and found a rubber pipe with marijuana residue and a portable rolling tray covered in marijuana shake.

— bob sandrick, cleveland.com, "Resident calls police about garbage-picking neighbor; Arby's reports money missing from safe: Berea police blotter," 29 Mar. 2018
For the next eight weeks, his daily diet consisted of two protein shakes and a small dinner.

— amanda garrity, Good Housekeeping, "Jimmy Kimmel Lost 25 Pounds by Following This Trendy Diet," 2 Mar. 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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