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
-
tremblessimple
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have trembledperfect
-
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
-
was tremblingprogressive
-
were tremblingprogressive
-
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:
AFP reporters as far away as Florida also felt the tremble.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 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
Dramatically reenacting the scene in the special, Foxx’s legs tremble, his eyes wide.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2024
His hands tremble as he throws down his backpack.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
"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 as she sings the new song, "If you hadn't been there / Where would I be? / Without your trust, love, and belief".
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2025
Lagana is relentlessly upbeat and positive, but his voice trembles when explaining that of the 75 or so homes in his immediate neighborhood, only 11 remain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2025
My voice trembles, and the words come out of my mouth like a sudden rainstorm.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
"It shook the whole building, the windows... it all trembled so much," the man said, adding that people several kilometres away had felt the impact.
From BBC ● Nov. 17, 2025
For years, rival executives in America had looked north and trembled at the possibilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 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
Again and again, as my forearms trembled and my fingers ached, my feet slipped on the mercilessly smooth granite.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2024
She held the bowl perfectly still in her lap as the bones within it trembled more and more violently.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Though Alicia emerged victorious, Christiane held a plank for over three minutes, arms trembling and gritting her teeth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
During those strikes, she sat on a chair in the corridor of her Lukyanivka apartment, away from the windows, her hands trembling uncontrollably.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 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
I took several deep breaths and clenched my hands to stem their trembling.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
