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shake

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of shake

1 a very small space of time

  • I'll be there in two shakes
Synonyms of shake

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

microsecond

snatch, spurt
Near Antonyms of shake

aeon (or eon), age, eternity, forever

infinity, lifetime

2 shakes plural a sense of panic or extreme nervousness

  • I get the shakes every time I hear her voice
Synonyms of shake

butterflies, dither, heebie-jeebies, jimjams, jitters, nerves, screaming meemies, shivers, whim-whams, willies
Words Related to shake

cold sweat, creeps, fidgets, goose bumps

agitation, anxiety, fear, hysteria, uneasiness

frazzle, nervous breakdown

edginess, jumpiness, skittishness
Near Antonyms of shake

aplomb, calm, composure, equanimity, imperturbability, self-possession, tranquillity (or tranquility)

3 a shaking of the earth

  • the shake was a modest 3.1 on the Richter scale
Synonyms of shake

earthquake, quake, temblor, tremor
Words Related to shake

aftershock, foreshock, shock

cataclysm, convulsion, upheaval

microearthquake, microseism, seaquake

shake

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of shake

1 to make a series of small irregular or violent movements

  • the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road
Synonyms of shake

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

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

2 to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery

  • we shook our pursuers by cutting through the abandoned lot
Synonyms of shake

avoid, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, finesse, get around, scape, shirk, shuffle (out of), shun, weasel (out of)
Words Related to shake

miss

avert, deflect, divert, obviate, parry, prevent, ward (off)

ban, bar, debar, eliminate, except, exclude, preclude, rule out

bypass, circumvent, skirt

foil, fox, frustrate, outfox, outsmart, outwit, overreach, thwart
Phrases Synonymous with shake

fight shy of, keep clear of, stay clear of, steer clear of
Near Antonyms of shake

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

Learn More about shake

  1. Dictionary: Definition of 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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