vibrate

[vahy-breyt]

verb (used without object)

vibrated, vibrating 

1. to move rhythmically and steadily to and fro, as a pendulum; oscillate.

2. to move to and fro or up and down quickly and repeatedly; quiver; tremble.

3. (of sounds) to produce or have a quivering or vibratory effect; resound.

   Synonyms: echo

4. to thrill, as in emotional response.

5. to move between alternatives or extremes; fluctuate; vacillate.

verb (used with object)

vibrated, vibrating 

1. to cause to move rhythmically and steadily to and fro, swing, or oscillate.

2. to cause to move to and fro or up and down quickly and repeatedly; cause to quiver or tremble.

3. to give forth or emit by, or as by, vibration.

4. to measure or indicate by vibration or oscillation.

   a pendulum vibrating seconds.

vibrate

/ vaɪˈbreɪt, ˈvaɪbrəˌtaɪl /

verb

1. to move or cause to move back and forth rapidly; shake, quiver, or throb

2. (intr) to oscillate

3. to send out (a sound) by vibration; resonate or cause to resonate

4. (intr) to waver

5. physics to undergo or cause to undergo an oscillatory or periodic process, as of an alternating current; oscillate

6. rare,  (intr) to respond emotionally; thrill

Other Word Forms

• vibratingly adverb
• nonvibrating adjective
• revibrate verb
• unvibrated adjective
• unvibrating adjective
• vibratile adjective
• vibratory adjective
• vibrating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vibrate¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin vibrātus (past participle of vibrāre “to move to and fro”); -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of vibrate¹

C17: from Latin vibrāre

Synonym Study

See shake.

Example Sentences

Mescal, especially, makes sadness vibrate as the plot takes us to Italy then London and back, and time apart comes to mean something entirely different than a pause between sung verses.

From Los Angeles Times

At around 15:00 on Sunday, mobiles vibrated and sounded for about 10 seconds in the second test of the system.

From BBC

At 15:00 BST, compatible phones will vibrate and make a siren sound for 10 seconds, even if set to silent.

From BBC

Compatible phones - the vast majority of those currently in use - will vibrate and make a siren sound for roughly 10 seconds.

From BBC

Stiller apologizes and silences his phone, which continues to vibrate busily on the table.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• flutter 
• pulsate 
• resonate 
• resound 
• reverberate 
• shiver 
• throb 
• tremble 
• undulate