tremulous
Americanadjective
-
(of persons, the body, etc.) characterized by trembling, as from fear, nervousness, or weakness.
- Synonyms:
- hesitant
-
timid; timorous; fearful.
- Synonyms:
- afraid, frightened
-
(of things) vibratory, shaking, or quivering.
-
(of writing) done with a trembling hand.
adjective
-
vibrating slightly; quavering; trembling
a tremulous voice
-
showing or characterized by fear, anxiety, excitement, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of tremulous
1605–15; < Latin tremulus, equivalent to trem ( ere ) to tremble + -ulus adj. suffix
Explanation
Something tremulous is shaky and quivering, usually from fear or lack of strength. If you're nervous at your first big job interview, your hands might be a little tremulous. You’ve likely heard the unsteady voice of a person close to tears, or seen the trembling legs of a frightened child — both could certainly be described as tremulous. But you can also use this adjective to describe a statement or action that lacks resolution and courage, or even simply something that's shivering from the cold.
Vocabulary lists containing tremulous
Lord of the Flies
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The Scarlet Letter
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The Diary of Anne Frank
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tremulous vocals curl around the music like smoke, as the 24-year-old, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, traces poetic stories of romantic exploration and broken hearts.
From BBC • May 30, 2025
Tremulous were the moonlit nights with the sighing of accordion bands from riverside bals musettes, whispery the riverside dingles with the billing & cooing of pic-necking couples.
From Time Magazine Archive
Tremulous, mistlike, your soul aspires, Blue, beautiful, Up and up to the clouds which are its kindred!
From Fires of Driftwood by Mackay, Isabel Ecclestone
"Tremulous music, lights half down," muttered the tragedian; but he was instantly silenced by the chairman.
From Tales of the Wonder Club Volume I by Halidom, M. Y.
Tremulous with suspense, Rose waited, scarcely daring to breathe until Madame turned with a cry of joy, the receiver falling from her nerveless hand.
From Old Rose and Silver by Reed, Myrtle
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
