tremulous
Americanadjective
-
(of persons, the body, etc.) characterized by trembling, as from fear, nervousness, or weakness.
- Synonyms:
- hesitant
-
timid; timorous; fearful.
- Synonyms:
- afraid, frightened
-
(of things) vibratory, shaking, or quivering.
-
(of writing) done with a trembling hand.
adjective
-
vibrating slightly; quavering; trembling
a tremulous voice
-
showing or characterized by fear, anxiety, excitement, etc
Other Word Forms
- tremulously adverb
- tremulousness noun
- untremulous adjective
- untremulously adverb
- untremulousness noun
Etymology
Origin of tremulous
1605–15; < Latin tremulus, equivalent to trem ( ere ) to tremble + -ulus adj. suffix
Explanation
Something tremulous is shaky and quivering, usually from fear or lack of strength. If you're nervous at your first big job interview, your hands might be a little tremulous. You’ve likely heard the unsteady voice of a person close to tears, or seen the trembling legs of a frightened child — both could certainly be described as tremulous. But you can also use this adjective to describe a statement or action that lacks resolution and courage, or even simply something that's shivering from the cold.
Vocabulary lists containing tremulous
Lord of the Flies
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The Scarlet Letter
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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.
In the memoir, Ms. Dunham traces the struggles of her adult life—fame, illness, addiction—with touching emphasis on the early tremulous excitements of becoming well-known: the affirmation, the freebies, the invitations to glittering events.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Fife's Jacob Alon is possessed of an otherworldly voice – simultaneously angelic and tremulous with vulnerability.
From BBC • Sep. 10, 2025
With her low, tremulous, gripping voice, Baby Rose sings about love as self-sabotage, trying to break free while an orchestra underlines her despair.
From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2023
As for Scott, he holds you and carries every scene with offhand wit and tremulous vulnerability.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2023
Her voice was no longer tremulous; it carried the authoritative note sharpened by long years of mothering a large family.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
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.
