tremble
Americanverb (used without object)
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trembles,
present (3rd person singular)
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trembled,
past participle, past
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trembling
present participle
noun
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trembles
plural
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the act of trembling.
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a state or fit of trembling.
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(used with a singular verb) trembles,
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Pathology. milk sickness.
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Veterinary Pathology. a toxic condition of cattle and sheep caused by the eating of white snakeroot and characterized by muscular tremors.
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verb
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to vibrate with short slight movements; quiver
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to shake involuntarily, as with cold or fear; shiver
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to experience fear or anxiety
noun
Synonym Usage
See shake.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tremblesimple
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tremblessimple
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have trembledperfect
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has trembledperfect
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am tremblingprogressive
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are tremblingprogressive
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is tremblingprogressive
-
have been tremblingperfect progressive
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has been tremblingperfect progressive
Past
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trembledsimple
-
had trembledperfect
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was tremblingprogressive
-
were tremblingprogressive
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had been tremblingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tremble
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English trem(b)len (verb), from Old French trembler, from Vulgar Latin *tremulāre, derivative of Latin tremulus tremulous
Explanation
To tremble is to quiver or shake without meaning to. Your hands probably tremble when you're nervous. Trembling is a movement, but it's not one that anyone intends to make. Someone who is extremely scared or cold might tremble all over. Older people tend to tremble more often than younger people, sometimes because of serious disorders like Parkinson's disease. The root word of tremble is the Latin tremulus, "trembling or tremulous." Certain honey bees perform a wiggly, shivering movement called a "tremble dance," which scientists believe inspires speedier nectar collection.
Vocabulary lists containing tremble
"The People Could Fly," Vocabulary from the folk tale
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David Bowie (1947-2016) Tribute List
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Excerpt from "The Diary of Anne Frank"
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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.
See Examples For:
Fireworks are also traumatizing for pets, particularly dogs, which tremble and even bolt from their homes in fear.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
“My hand will not tremble when it comes to chasing down and capturing the bandits,” he told supporters at a recent rally in Bogotá, the capital.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
The remark wasn’t likely to make Iranian generals tremble.
From Slate ● May 11, 2026
His mouth doesn’t close, his eyebrows stay raised, his hands tremble.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2026
I could feel a tremble in my stomach, spiralling outwards through my body.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
She still struggles with fatigue, mental fog, memory loss and trembles if she becomes too exhausted, as well as suffering from regular dizzy spells.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
"Everyone still trembles at any loud noise," he added.
From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026
Their voice trembles as they describe the incident, one they managed to film, hoping that footage might be useful later.
From Slate ● Jan. 16, 2026
Her voice trembles with emotion as she sings the lyrics, fueled by the six decades of relationship behind them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2025
The boy’s bottom lip trembles as he turns to face the group.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
His blood pressure rose and his hand trembled so that he almost let the hemostat fall to the floor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2025
Even though the epicentre of the quake was 16km away, the whole of Shahab's village of Asadabad trembled.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2025
As the country’s fourth-largest investment bank, Lehman Brothers, collapsed and its fifth-largest, Bear Sterns, was liquidated in a “fire sale,” the financial system trembled at the brink of collapse.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2025
The retired aerospace engineer, who lives in Sierra Madre, did about four reps before his teeth clenched, his legs trembled and he let out short puffs of air through pursed lips.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2024
Water droplets trembled on her eyelashes, making it look like she’d been crying.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
“Bittersweet memories, that’s all I am taking with me,” Parton sings in a voice trembling with determination.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Videos posted online showed one dog, Cash, trembling in his kennel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
"His death is my greatest pain," said Cherifa, her voice trembling, from inside a rough brick shelter.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
And if you hear trembling violins and thrumming cellos, you might lapse into a vision of storm-whipped waves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
I’m sitting on my trembling hands across from her, in a booth tucked away from the crazy of the main dining room, my red flags rigid, ready.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
