tremor
Americannoun
-
involuntary shaking of the body or limbs, as from disease, fear, weakness, or excitement; a fit of trembling.
-
any tremulous or vibratory movement; vibration.
tremors following an earthquake.
-
a trembling or quivering effect, as of light.
- Synonyms:
- oscillation
-
a quavering sound, as of the voice.
noun
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an involuntary shudder or vibration, as from illness, fear, shock, etc
-
any trembling or quivering movement
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a vibrating or trembling effect, as of sound or light
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Also called: earth tremor. a minor earthquake
verb
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A relatively minor seismic shaking or vibrating movement. Tremors often precede larger earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
-
An involuntary shaking or trembling of the head or extremities that can be idiopathic or associated with any of various medical conditions, such as Parkinson's disease.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of tremor
1325–75; Middle English < Latin: a trembling, equivalent to trem ( ere ) to tremble + -or -or 1
Explanation
A tremor is a trembling or shaking in a person or the Earth. If you're scared about speaking in public you might have a tremor in your voice — or wish that an earthquake tremor would open up the floor and swallow you first. If you're nervous or feeling queasy as you read a paper aloud, you might get a tremor in your hands and the paper itself will start to shake. When an earthquake rumbles, a powerful tremor might make a building shake so that it looks as fragile as a piece of paper. Not every tremor comes from fear or seismic activity, though: you can tremor or quiver with excitement as you anticipate something enjoyable.
Vocabulary lists containing tremor
Super Seismic: Words for Volcanoes and Earthquakes
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The Secret Life of Bees
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"The Drummer Boy of Shiloh"
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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.
This box really is a treasure trove: Epoisses, Noord Hollander Gouda, 5-Year Parmigiano Reggiano, Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor, and my personal favorite, Rogue River Blue — a superstar with 20 awards to its name.
From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025
Tremor and a loss of motor control are characteristic symptoms of Parkinson's disease and are due to a loss of neurons that release the neurotransmitter dopamine, called dopaminergic neurons.
From Science Daily • Dec. 5, 2023
According to a study from Tremor International, a video-first ad tech platform, 38% of fans ages 25-34 prefer to watch games on streaming compared to 33% on broadcast or cable television.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 14, 2022
Digital advertising firm Tremor expects to fund the purchase with existing cash resources and a new $100 million debt facility, it said.
From Reuters • Jul. 25, 2022
Tremor, upon my honour I was credibly informed, your ancestors were Kings of Scotland.
From Such Things Are A Play, in Five Acts by Inchbald, Mrs.
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.
