quavering 1 of 2

Definition of quaveringnext

quavering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of quaver
as in trilling
to sing with the alternation of two musical tones know-it-alls snickered as the opera singer quavered on the high note

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quavering
Adjective
Unmoored from tradition and offering only vague, impressionistic lyrics, Granli’s quavering performances on Rosacea become Rorschach tests, ripe for free association with whatever images your psyche can dredge up. H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
The governor, Tim Walz, defeated for the Vice Presidency, gets on TV, his voice quavering, saying the right things, speaking the truth, and advising courage. Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026 The combination of quavering flutes and solemn, unfamiliar corridors is disquieting. Hazlitt, 10 Dec. 2025 Funke, her voice quavering throughout, recounted the events of the previous night. Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025 Her voice quavering with emotion, Pawol talked about getting the news during a Wednesday conference call with director of umpire development Rich Rieker and vice president of umpire operations Matt McKendry. Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quavering
Adjective
  • Conventional atomic clocks rely on microwave cavity resonance, in which microwaves interact with atoms in a resonant chamber to produce a stable frequency.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026
  • That’s part of what makes the genre so resonant.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Sounds of loud trilling shouts after silent hunts, and singing.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The blast furnace of volcanoes has fallen silent, replaced by birdsong trilling from the branches and echoing through a garden of exotic stone.
    Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The sonorous presence of actor Morgan Freeman will be one of the highlights of the Beatles on the Beach festival in Boca Raton on March 12-15, which will include a March 14 performance by Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience.
    Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Authoritative, sonorous and compelling, his is the voice that persuaded millions that the Martians had landed in Grover’s Mills, New Jersey in The War of the Worlds.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The song may be six minutes long, but the circuitous lope of his acoustic-guitar strum and low throb of his warbling feel eternal, like the type of tune Sisyphus might have hummed to keep himself company.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • The melodic closer had the huge crowd energized and swaying along, as the nearly 50-foot stage, fully adorned in LED lights, beamed hypnotic celestial imagery in neon blue.
    Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Her fantastic fourth album, Maitreya Corso, due on May 1, is a major step forward, a quirky, cozily organic, unceasingly melodic collection of Aimee Mann-worthy pop.
    Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The crowds had thinned, a table for lunch at the No Name Saloon was easy to acquire, and the dulcet tones of power tools filled the air as the Chase Sapphire Lounge was dismantled.
    Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Wishing you a week of dulcet tones, giddy resistance, and a thousand pancakes.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Each rhythmic stop-and-start, each peel of feedback is imbued with the sense that the band might fully crumble into noise and dissonance.
    Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Where ancient midwives had summoned divine assistance by uttering incantations, medieval maternity caregivers called upon saintly mothers by reciting rhythmical charms.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Families seeking the convenience of a true third-row SUV will find the TX particularly appealing.
    Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Sir Edmond Halley’s, a long-standing British-style joint that serves food and drinks seven days a week in Charlotte, is everything that makes pub culture so appealing.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Quavering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quavering. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.

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