as in shaking
marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements
trembling from the cold
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in twitching
a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side
at the first sign of the room's trembling, I ducked for cover, for I was certain that it was the start of the big quake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trembling
Cat Rainsford, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2026
There’s Walter’s serene cello and Marjorie’s pensive, slightly coy violin, sometimes playful or petulant or, still, a little vain and secretive — other times thin and trembling, lost in the haze of dementia.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
Lost in the trembling of my own body, trembling like Bunny’s body.
—Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Olsen plays Joan’s indecision with winsome fluster, at first breathy and trembling but eventually finding her resolve.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
Still, the cluster exhibited a subtle trembling motion while it was held in place.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
Its strength ranges from mild, causing little more discomfort than a slight trembling, to severe, in which passengers or flight crew can be thrown around the cabin and risk injury if not wearing seatbelts.
—Cat Rainsford, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2026
There’s Walter’s serene cello and Marjorie’s pensive, slightly coy violin, sometimes playful or petulant or, still, a little vain and secretive — other times thin and trembling, lost in the haze of dementia.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
Lost in the trembling of my own body, trembling like Bunny’s body.
—Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Olsen plays Joan’s indecision with winsome fluster, at first breathy and trembling but eventually finding her resolve.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
Still, the cluster exhibited a subtle trembling motion while it was held in place.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trembling
Noun
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Few things shake the confidence of a person like crawling to the top bunk of a quivering bed frame, your feet wrapping uncomfortably along the frail metal rungs of the ladder.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Over the years, Andrews has garnered comparisons to fellow Arizona native Linda Ronstadt for her rich, clear tone, which can modulate from quivering vibrato to crystalline belt on a dime.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
That week’s host, Emily Blunt, did the trembly voice-over.—
Michael Schulman,
The New Yorker,
21 Dec. 2020
Noun
-
The disease, which gets worse over time, starts with muscle twitching, slurred speech, or weakness in an arm or leg.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
20 Feb. 2026
-
After 10 weeks without food, Muraisi is experiencing involuntary muscular twitching and severe chest pains, according to Prisoners for Palestine, with her doctors warning of possible cardiovascular collapse.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Both modules will link through final durability assessments using vibration fatigue methods.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Those venues tend to be on lower decks — without cabins beneath them — and are generally designed to absorb sound, but passengers could still feel vibrations from the noise.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The relationship between the administration and MAHA was already shaky, Ryerson, the activist, said.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
-
With just five games left in the regular season, the Aggies' NCAA Tournament chance remains shaky, recently drawing a 10-seed in Joe Lunardi's bracketology.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Symptoms are fatigue, confusion, disorientation, excessive shivering and loss of coordination.—
Amanda McCoy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Once moderate hypothermia sets in, the opposite effect happens — heart rate, breathing and shivering will slow and eventually stop.—
Karl Hille,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fellow clubgoers splashed cold water on his face in an attempt to stop the shuddering.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trembling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trembling. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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