tremulous

[ trem-yuh-luhs ]
See synonyms for: tremuloustremulousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. (of persons, the body, etc.) characterized by trembling, as from fear, nervousness, or weakness.

  2. timid; timorous; fearful.

  1. (of things) vibratory, shaking, or quivering.

  2. (of writing) done with a trembling hand.

Origin of tremulous

1
1605–15; <Latin tremulus, equivalent to trem(ere) to tremble + -ulus adj. suffix

Other words for tremulous

Other words from tremulous

  • trem·u·lous·ly, adverb
  • trem·u·lous·ness, noun
  • un·trem·u·lous, adjective
  • un·trem·u·lous·ly, adverb
  • un·trem·u·lous·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tremulous in a sentence

  • Tess's look had grown hard and worn, and her ripe mouth tragical; but she no longer showed any tremulousness.

  • Reprehensibility and tremulousness were great favorites of his, though I don't believe he ever knew what they meant.

    In Camp With A Tin Soldier | John Kendrick Bangs
  • The frown was still upon her forehead, although to a certain extent it was contradicted by a slight tremulousness of the lips.

    Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo | E. Phillips Oppenheim
  • There was what I may call a certain tremulousness, but no faltering.

    The Cassowary | Stanley Waterloo
  • Those calm and dignified steps were taken by feet which little betrayed the tremulousness of the knees above them.

    Seventeen | Booth Tarkington

British Dictionary definitions for tremulous

tremulous

/ (ˈtrɛmjʊləs) /


adjective
  1. vibrating slightly; quavering; trembling: a tremulous voice

  2. showing or characterized by fear, anxiety, excitement, etc

Origin of tremulous

1
C17: from Latin tremulus quivering, from tremere to shake

Derived forms of tremulous

  • tremulously, adverb
  • tremulousness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012