quiver 1 of 2

noun

Definition of quivernext
as in shiver
an instance of shaking involuntarily with fear or cold a quiver ran through the audience when the monster cornered the movie's hero

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quiver

2 of 2

verb

as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements aspen leaves quivering in the breeze

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 quiver
Noun
Shaggy was holding a squishy ball between his knees and pumping his arms up and down, making his whole body quiver. — Natalie Meade, New Yorker, 18 May 2026 Visually, the tunnel’s thick metal exterior quivers and soil shakes off it as each succeeding segment ignites. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 6 May 2026
Verb
Located on the street level of the Harbor Boulevard complex, the new shop gives dessert-loving denizens another place to pick up the quivering treat. — Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 26 May 2026 In my mind, church potlucks and family picnics blur together into one long table lined with bright yellow pudding dotted with vanilla wafers, three-bean salad, and quivering ambrosia. — Jill Robbins, Southern Living, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for quiver
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quiver
  1. shiver
  2. shake
  3. shudder
  4. jerk
  5. tremble
  6. vibrate
Noun
  • Speaking to Julia Cunningham on her eponymous podcast, Adams says the moment when Cecile realizes her half-sister is the serial killer (while her mom was a plain ol’ one-off manslaughterer) still gives her the shivers.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 July 2026
  • Judith claims to be a forensic accountant, but is actually a career assassin whose very name sends shivers of fear through her enemies and ones of excitement through her admirers.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
Definition of shiver
Verb
  • The heat now poses an additional danger to residents still shaken by the quake, many of whom are sleeping in their cars after their homes were damaged or destroyed.
    — Yumi Asada, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Chad Gable and Penta shook hands as Gable’s family watched from ringside.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of shake
Noun
  • The tensions, which have sent a shudder across many American industries, have prompted Washington to seek new sources of rare earths.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 22 June 2026
  • Whoever ends up playing the America 250 or (shudder) Freedom 250 gigs, the Chicks are our pick for Band of the Sesquicentennial.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 19 June 2026
Definition of shudder
Verb
  • Stuttering lines, on the left, jerking up and down, denote the rattle of guns; on the right, the lines are all but flat, as silence descends.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Logan Howlett, got a tear-jerking send-off in James Mangold’s Logan.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026
Definition of jerk
Noun
  • Be a good child, do what they’re told, be the best child, a tremble in their hands, say nothing, tensed for the knock on the door.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
  • Ultimately, the recent market trembles reveal less about the immediate dangers of AI and more about the precarious psychology of modern trading.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Definition of tremble
Verb
  • The mouth fiddle belongs to a family of instruments that are orally modulated, lending qualities of the human voice to the sound waves emitted by a vibrating string.
    — Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • So make sure to put your phone on silent or vibrate or turn it off.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
Definition of vibrate

Browse Nearby Words

quitting
quiver
quivered
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Cite this Entry

“Quiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quiver. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on quiver

Nglish: Translation of quiver for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quiver

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