vibrate
Americanverb (used without object)
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to move rhythmically and steadily to and fro, as a pendulum; oscillate.
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to move to and fro or up and down quickly and repeatedly; quiver; tremble.
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(of sounds) to produce or have a quivering or vibratory effect; resound.
- Synonyms:
- echo
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to thrill, as in emotional response.
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to move between alternatives or extremes; fluctuate; vacillate.
verb (used with object)
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to cause to move rhythmically and steadily to and fro, swing, or oscillate.
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to cause to move to and fro or up and down quickly and repeatedly; cause to quiver or tremble.
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to give forth or emit by, or as by, vibration.
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to measure or indicate by vibration or oscillation.
a pendulum vibrating seconds.
verb
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to move or cause to move back and forth rapidly; shake, quiver, or throb
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(intr) to oscillate
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to send out (a sound) by vibration; resonate or cause to resonate
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(intr) to waver
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physics to undergo or cause to undergo an oscillatory or periodic process, as of an alternating current; oscillate
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rare (intr) to respond emotionally; thrill
Related Words
See shake.
Other Word Forms
- nonvibrating adjective
- revibrate verb
- unvibrated adjective
- unvibrating adjective
- vibratile adjective
- vibrating adjective
- vibratingly adverb
- vibratory adjective
Etymology
Origin of vibrate
First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin vibrātus (past participle of vibrāre “to move to and fro”); -ate 1
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.
There was a low rumble that vibrated for a second or two, then faded away.
From Los Angeles Times
Now, though, the arrow twitched; it appeared to stutter, juddering back and forth—and then began to spin, slowly and then faster, until it was vibrating in her hand.
From Literature
“It was like a rock star rising from the ashes. You could literally feel the theater vibrating.”
From Los Angeles Times
The car vibrates, going faster than an old car should go.
From Literature
The word rings through me so strongly it’s like my bones are vibrating.
From Literature
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.
