quivering

American  

[kwiv-uh-ring] / ˈkwɪv ə rɪŋ /

adjective

1. trembling or shaking with a slight, rapid motion, or seeming to tremble or shake.

   The sun climbed higher and movement ceased: over the whole summit, figures lay still in the quivering heat.

   Forty hertz is really fast, like the quivering light from a faulty fluorescent bulb.

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noun

1. an act or instance of shaking with a slight but rapid motion.

   The quivering in the heart upsets the normal rhythm between the atria and the lower parts of the heart, the ventricles.

Other Word Forms

• quiveringly adverb
• unquivering adjective

Etymology

Origin of quivering

First recorded in 1530–40; quiver ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective; quiver ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun

Example Sentences

My jaw is quivering, but it’s a small quiver.

From Literature

Hegseth’s brief tenure at the Pentagon has been dominated by his quivering inability to deal with any kind of challenge or discomfort.

From Salon

“Think how marvelous it would be to live among so many fascinating ferns, growing in their native habitats,” she thought with quivering lip.

From Literature

Elsewhere, a cabinet never stops quivering as we wait for its door to swing open.

From Los Angeles Times

He looks at the sheep he’s about to ride with quivering lips.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• shaking
• shivering
• trembling