quake

[kweyk]

verb (used without object)

quaked, quaking 

1. (of persons) to shake or tremble from cold, weakness, fear, anger, or the like.

   He spoke boldly even though his legs were quaking.

   Synonyms: shudder

2. (of things) to shake or tremble, as from shock, internal convulsion, or instability.

   The earth suddenly began to quake.

   Synonyms: quiver

noun

1. an earthquake.

2. a trembling or tremulous agitation.

quake

/ kweɪk /

verb

1. to shake or tremble with or as with fear

2. to convulse or quiver, as from instability

noun

1. the act or an instance of quaking

2. informal,  short for earthquake

Other Word Forms

• quakingly adverb
• unquaking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of quake¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cwacian “to shake, tremble”

Word History and Origins

Origin of quake¹

Old English cwacian; related to Old English cweccan to shake, Old Irish bocaim, German wackeln

Synonym Study

See shiver ¹.

Example Sentences

A major quake in February 2023 killed at least 50,500 people in southeast Turkey, many crushed in buildings that could not resist the shock.

Read more on Barron's

The absence of quakes in certain areas suggests that sections of the plate have already detached, and the gap is gradually widening over time.

Read more on Science Daily

Now, new research published in the journal Geosphere suggests that this "really big one" might not stop there -- it could also set off a major quake in California.

Read more on Science Daily

In California, where the next “Big One” is an always-looming threat, some lessons learned from the 1925 Santa Barbara quake resonate even 100 years later, experts say.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Supershear quakes send intense shaking farther from the epicenter and strike twice, according to Elbanna -- a sharp initial blow from the shock front followed by the trailing waves.

Read more on Science Daily