shake

1 a very small space of time I'll be there in two shakes Synonyms beat, eyeblink, flash, heartbeat, jiff, jiffy, minute, moment, nanosecond, New York minute, second, instant, split second, trice, twinkle, twinkling, winkRelated Words microsecond; snatch, spurtNear Antonyms aeon (or eon), age, eternity, forever; infinity, lifetime

2 shakes pl  a sense of panic or extreme nervousness I get the shakes every time I hear her voice Synonyms butterflies, dither, heebie-jeebies, jimjams, nerves, screaming meemies, shakes, shivers, whim-whams, williesRelated Words cold sweat, creeps, fidgets, goose bumps; agitation, anxiety, fear, hysteria, uneasiness; frazzle, nervous breakdown; edginess, jumpiness, skittishnessNear Antonyms 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 quake, earthquake, temblor, tremorRelated Words aftershock, foreshock, shock; cataclysm, convulsion, upheaval; microearthquake, microseism, seaquake

1 to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road Synonyms agitate, bucket, convulse, jerk, jiggle, joggle, jolt, jounce, judder [chiefly British], quake, quiver, shudder, vibrate, wobble (also wabble) Related Words 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 avoid, dodge, duck, elude, eschew, evade, finesse, get around, scape, escape, shirk, shuffle (out of), shun, weasel (out of)Related Words 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, thwartNear Antonyms accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome; catch, contract, incur