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Synonyms

quiver

1 American  
[kwiv-er] / ˈkwɪv ər /

verb (used with or without object)

  1. to shake with a slight but rapid motion; vibrate tremulously; tremble.

    Synonyms:
    shiver, shudder, quake, quake

noun

  1. the act or state of quivering; a tremble or tremor.

    Synonyms:
    shake, shiver, shudder
quiver 2 American  
[kwiv-er] / ˈkwɪv ər /

noun

  1. a case for holding or carrying arrows.

  2. the arrows in such a case.

quiver 1 British  
/ ˈkwɪvə /

verb

  1. (intr) to shake with a rapid tremulous movement; tremble

"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

noun

  1. the state, process, or noise of shaking or trembling

"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
quiver 2 British  
/ ˈkwɪvə /

noun

  1. a case for arrows

"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

Related Words

See shake.

Other Word Forms

  • quiverer noun
  • quivering adjective
  • quiveringly adverb
  • quivery adjective
  • unquivered adjective

Etymology

Origin of quiver1

First recorded in 1480–90; origin uncertain; compare Middle Dutch quiveren “to tremble”

Origin of quiver2

1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French quiveir, variant of Old French quivre; perhaps < Germanic; compare Old English cocer quiver

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.

As Pierce sees it, a 10% cap is “one of the few arrows left in the quiver for the White House really struggling to address the affordability crisis.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

But believe him when he says he still has a bundle of protectionist arrows in his quiver.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

The Cidara acquisition adds another medicine to the Merck quiver.

From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025

Moments later, as Kershaw was reading a Bible verse about working “with all your heart,” his voice began to quiver again.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025

He got ready by laying his bow and quiver under the yew tree along with his pack, sleeping-sack and waterskin, then unhooking his axe from his belt.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

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.