quake

[ kweyk ]

/ kweɪk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR quake ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), quaked, quak·ing.

(of persons) to shake or tremble from cold, weakness, fear, anger, or the like: He spoke boldly even though his legs were quaking.

(of things) to shake or tremble, as from shock, internal convulsion, or instability: The earth suddenly began to quake.

noun

an earthquake.

a trembling or tremulous agitation.

Nearby words

quail clock, quail dove, quail-brush, quaint, quair, quake, quake in one's boots, quakeproof, quaker, quaker gun, quaker meeting

Origin of quake

before 900; Middle English; Old English cwacian to shake, tremble

SYNONYMS FOR quake

1 shudder. See shiver¹.

2 quiver.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR quake ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

quak·ing·ly, adverbun·quak·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for quake

It is aware that the fear on which it ultimately thrives is that of politicians who quake at its supposed influence and money.
The NRA’s Multimillion-Dollar New Ad Campaign Is Despicable|Michael Daly|September 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The smaller wineries still cleaning up from the quake are not yet equipped to process fruit.
Cleaning Up From Napa's Winepocalypse|Jordan Salcito|August 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the hours before the quake, some local authorities ordered evacuations that proved effective in saving lives.
Turns Out, a Video of Bison Purportedly Fleeing Yellowstone Is a Hoax|Timothy Lesle|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some of these waves are what we feel when the ground beneath our feet moves during a quake.
A Lot of Earthquakes Have Been Reported Lately, but Scientists Aren’t Worried|Erik Klemetti|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Haiti had extreme problems far pre-dating the quake that should have been central to the planning for any realistic solution.
The Aid Industry Failed Haiti After Its 2010 Quake|Elise Jordan|February 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But when enveloped in the fog of ignorance every phenomenon of Nature causes man to quake and tremble—he wants to know!
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 12|Elbert Hubbard
At every crack of the branches the startled Strombix began to quake and seized the fist of his companion.
The Death of the Gods|Dmitri Mrejkowski
It does not shrink, and quake, and grow pale lest the response should overturn some ancient notion.
Continental Monthly, Volume 5, Issue 4|Various
They are told they ought "to quake and tremble," and if they do not, they "show by their actions that they mean to go to hell."
The American Missionary, October, 1890, Vol. XLIV., No. 10|Various
Some fires started after the quake, but the fire department soon had them under control.
Complete Story of the San Francisco Horror|Richard Linthicum

British Dictionary definitions for quake

quake

/ (kweɪk) /

verb (intr)

to shake or tremble with or as with fear

to convulse or quiver, as from instability

noun

the act or an instance of quaking

informal short for earthquake

Word Origin for quake

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012