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Synonyms

shaking

American  
[shey-king] / ˈʃeɪ kɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of a person or thing that shakes.

  2. ague, with or without chill and fever.

  3. Nautical. shakings, waste rope, canvas, etc.

adjective

  1. moving or swaying with short, quick, irregular vibratory movements; quivering.

Other Word Forms

  • shakingly adverb
  • unshaking adjective

Etymology

Origin of shaking

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; shake, -ing 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.

US President Donald Trump has endorsed a former top adviser to ex-British PM David Cameron for governor of California, shaking up an unusually unpredictable race in the heavily Democratic state.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

A consolidated case brought by teenagers, school districts and state attorneys general against Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap is slated to go to trial this summer, potentially shaking things up even more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

This isn’t the only scandal shaking up the nation’s second-largest school district.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

As nearby bees observe, the dancer moves forward while shaking its abdomen, then circles back and repeats the pattern within seconds.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

Eusie dashed past me, white-faced, his pipe rattling in the ashtray that he carried in shaking hands.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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.