tremble

verb

trem·ble | \ ˈtrem-bəl

trembled; trembling\ ˈtrem-b(ə-)liŋ

Definition of tremble

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to shake involuntarily (as with fear or cold) : shiver

2 : to move, sound, pass, or come to pass as if shaken or tremulous the building trembled from the blast

3 : to be affected with great fear or anxiety trembled for the safety of her child

tremble

noun

Definition of tremble (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act or instance of trembling especially : a fit or spell of involuntary shaking or quivering

2 trembles plural in form but singular in construction : severe poisoning of livestock and especially cattle by a toxic alcohol present in a snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum) and rayless goldenrod that is characterized especially by muscular tremors, weakness, and constipation

Other Words from tremble Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about tremble

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of tremble in a Sentence

Verb

His arms and legs began to tremble. My voice trembled as I began to speak. I opened the letter with trembling hands. The house trembled as the big truck drove by.

Noun

with a tremble, she ventured out into the snow

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Inside a room, Ahlam sat in a plastic chair, trembling under a black abaya which concealed her face. — Arwa Damon, CNN, "They escaped ISIS. Then they got sucked into Baghdad's sex trafficking underworld," 3 July 2019 Former Hillsborough Police Chief Mark O’Connor, then a sergeant, recalled finding a trembling Kristine sitting alone in a hotel office. — Nico Savidge, The Mercury News, "Victim recounts 1995 Hillsborough kidnapping: ‘I thought I was going to die’," 28 June 2019 Jane Doe #2: The 59-year-old (58 and homeless when she was assaulted by Winslow) spoke softly, her voice trembling at times. — Robert Klemko, SI.com, "You Never Knew Kellen Winslow Jr.," 13 June 2019 Woody tells his fellow toys, and that weird something is named Forky, who starts stumble-walking on popsicle legs and tremble-talking with Tony Hale‘s wonderful freaky-poignant voice. — Darren Franich, EW.com, "Toy Story 4 goes beyond endings, with mixed results: EW review," 13 June 2019 Other researchers found that above this deep body, which stretches 155 miles below the surface, tiny quakes seemed to tremble. — National Geographic, "A tectonic plate may have peeled apart—and that could shrink the Atlantic Ocean," 6 May 2019 Mendoza, the 31-year-old Bay Area mother whose voice trembled at that early April hearing, was herself a child of poverty. — John Myers, latimes.com, "With new ideas to boost welfare grants, California lawmakers now must take on Gov. Jerry Brown," 29 Apr. 2018 The largest carriers are still expected to report another year of multibillion-dollar profits — gone are the days when the industry would tremble when oil prices rose. — Mary Schlangenstein, latimes.com, "Airlines offer cheap fares even as the price of jet fuel surges," 22 May 2018 The ground seemed to tremble, the day draining of color and light. — David Gilbert, The New Yorker, "Fungus," 4 June 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Alexis Taylor croons in a high, understanding tremble, and Joe Goddard offers plummy, sad ballast. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Hot Chip Hones the Meaning of ‘Ecstasy’," 25 June 2019 The faint signal, which came on April 6, is the first tremble that scientists believe comes from the Martian interior, rather than from surface forces, such as wind. — National Geographic, "First 'marsquake' detected by NASA lander," 23 Apr. 2019 Instead, its trembles are thought to come from the slow cooling of the planet over time, which causes the orb to contract and develop fractures on its surface. — National Geographic, "First 'marsquake' detected by NASA lander," 23 Apr. 2019 Feel a tremble in your stomach, in your chest, in your fingertips. — Shelly Oria, Longreads, "How to Be Single," 2 July 2018 The 28-year-old record for NCAA tournament 3-point shots, the 21 by Loyola Marymount in 1990 against Michigan, began a rare tremble. — Chuck Culpepper, chicagotribune.com, "An efficiency of movement: Villanova's offense takes over," 1 Apr. 2018 The researchers have installed a complex network of sensors that monitor Mayon’s every tremble and burp and are using their vast amounts of knowledge garnered from past events to interpret the volcano’s every shiver. — Maya Wei-haas, Smithsonian, "Geology Makes the Mayon Volcano Visually Spectacular—And Dangerously Explosive," 19 Jan. 2018 The 17-year-old says nothing, but his lower lip trembles. — Washington Post, "The story must be told.," 3 Nov. 2017 For the yellow sun of its belly and the sugar-drunk bee that pulls us with it into this tremble of gold petals. — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Loss And Affirmation: The Poems Of Julia Morris Paul," 18 July 2017

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about tremble

Dictionary Entries near tremble

Statistics for tremble

Last Updated

9 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for tremble

The first known use of tremble was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for tremble

tremble

verb

English Language Learners Definition of tremble

: to shake slightly because you are afraid, nervous, excited, etc.

: to shake slightly because of some force

somewhat formal : to be afraid or nervous

See the full definition for tremble in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tremble

verb

trem·ble | \ ˈtrem-bəl

trembled; trembling

Kids Definition of tremble

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to shake without control (as from fear or cold) : shiver

2 : to move, sound, or happen as if shaken My voice trembled. Just at this moment Stuart … felt the whole ship tremble … with the force of the collision.— E. B. White, Stuart Little

3 : to have strong fear or doubt I tremble to think of what might happen.