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tremulous

[trem-yuh-luhs]
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adjective
  1. (of persons, the body, etc.) characterized by trembling, as from fear, nervousness, or weakness.
  2. timid; timorous; fearful.
  3. (of things) vibratory, shaking, or quivering.
  4. (of writing) done with a trembling hand.
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Origin of tremulous

1605–15; < Latin tremulus, equivalent to trem(ere) to tremble + -ulus adj. suffix
Related formstrem·u·lous·ly, adverbtrem·u·lous·ness, nounun·trem·u·lous, adjectiveun·trem·u·lous·ly, adverbun·trem·u·lous·ness, noun

Synonyms

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1. faltering, hesitant, wavering. 2. frightened; afraid.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

tensionstressimpatienceagitationsensitivitydisquietjittersuneasinessangerturbulenceworryflapperturbationstimulationanimationto-dotizzyfusstimiditydiscomfiture

Examples from the Web for tremulousness

Historical Examples

  • Mrs. Dowling permitted a tremulousness to become audible in her voice.

    Alice Adams

    Booth Tarkington

  • A tremulousness about the mouth betrayed a nervous temperament.

    Wilfrid Cumbermede

    George MacDonald

  • It was with a feeling not far removed from tremulousness that I entered the room.

    The First Violin

    Jessie Fothergill

  • There was no tremulousness in his voice or manner; nothing hurried, nothing simulated.

    Hidden Treasures

    Harry A. Lewis

  • The barber, noticing his tremulousness, held the mirror for him.

    Romola

    George Eliot

British Dictionary definitions for tremulousness

tremulous

adjective
  1. vibrating slightly; quavering; tremblinga tremulous voice
  2. showing or characterized by fear, anxiety, excitement, etc
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Derived Formstremulously, adverbtremulousness, noun

Word Origin

C17: from Latin tremulus quivering, from tremere to shake
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

Word Origin and History for tremulousness

tremulous

adj.

1610s, from Latin tremulus "shaking, quivering," from tremere (see tremble).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
tremulousness in Medicine

tremulous

(trĕm′yə-ləs)
adj.
  1. Characterized by tremor.
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Related formstrem′u•lous•ness n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.