tremor

American  

[trem-er, tree-mer] / ˈtrɛm ər, ˈtri mər /

noun

1. involuntary shaking of the body or limbs, as from disease, fear, weakness, or excitement; a fit of trembling.

   Synonyms:

   quiver, shiver, shudder

2. any tremulous or vibratory movement; vibration.

   tremors following an earthquake.

3. a trembling or quivering effect, as of light.

   Synonyms:

   oscillation

4. a quavering sound, as of the voice.

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tremor British  

/ ˈtrɛmə /

noun

1. an involuntary shudder or vibration, as from illness, fear, shock, etc

2. any trembling or quivering movement

3. a vibrating or trembling effect, as of sound or light

4. Also called: earth tremor.  a minor earthquake

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verb

1. (intr) to tremble

tremor Scientific  

/ trĕm′ər /

1. A relatively minor seismic shaking or vibrating movement. Tremors often precede larger earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• tremorless adjective
• tremorous adjective

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.

Example Sentences

The possibility of unregulated access to Mythos could send a tremor through the cybersecurity world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

More than 3,800 people in Myanmar -- and around 90 more in neighbouring Thailand -- were killed when the 7.7-magnitude tremor struck on March 28, 2025.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Andrew's Parkinson's tremor dramatically reduced, say his family, and soon he was even back playing tennis.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

"Apple Watch can pick up Parkinson's, but it can only pick it up once you have a tremor," Alcaide said.

From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026

For that brief moment, Lazlo felt a tremor of the quaking grief within her: that she had not been able to keep her child safe.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• earthquake
• shiver
• upheaval
• vibration