trembling

trembling — adjective

1. describes a person or part of their body that shakes in small, quick movements b

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a person or part of their body that shakes in small, quick movements because they are scared, angry, cold, or excited

Example

Christopher held out a trembling hand to show the officer his identification card.

trembling hand + check-in scenario

Salma's voice was trembling as she described the accident to the police officer.

voice + trembling from emotion

Common collocations
  • trembling hands
  • trembling voice
  • trembling legs
  • trembling fingers
  • trembling lips
Synonyms
  • shaking

    more general and common than trembling; can describe any kind of back-and-forth movement

  • quivering

    suggests a finer, more rapid vibration, often from fear or anticipation

  • shivering

    specifically related to cold or fever, involving repeated muscle contractions

Antonyms
  • steady

    describes something that does not shake or move

  • still

    completely without movement

Grammar Patterns

trembling + noun (attributive)

be + trembling (predicative)

Usage Note

Often describes body parts (hands, voice, lips, legs, fingers) as a visible sign of a strong emotion or physical condition.

Common Mistakes

He was trembing with cold.
He was trembling with cold.
The base verb is 'tremble'; the -ing form keeps the final 'e' before adding '-ing.'
I feel trembling.
I am trembling.' or 'I feel trembly.
'Trembling' as an adjective describes a person or body part, not the sensation itself. Use 'trembly' (informal) for the feeling.

2. describes the ground, a building, or an object that moves with small shakes, usu

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes the ground, a building, or an object that moves with small shakes, usually in response to a nearby force

Example

The trembling floorboards warned us that someone was walking upstairs.

trembling floorboards + sound/weight source

During the earthquake, the trembling walls made it impossible to stand near the windows.

Common collocations
  • trembling ground
  • trembling floorboards
  • trembling walls
  • trembling bridge
Synonyms
  • shaking

    general term for any back-and-forth movement

  • vibrating

    suggests a continuous, fast, small movement, often from a machine

  • quaking

    stronger movement, often specifically of the ground during an earthquake

Antonyms
  • still

    not moving at all

  • stable

    firm and not likely to shake

Grammar Patterns

trembling + noun

Usage Note

Used mainly for physical objects and surfaces rather than people. Often describes the effect of an external force such as an earthquake, heavy traffic, or footsteps.

Common Mistakes

The man was trembling because of the earthquake.' (when describing the person's reaction)
The trembling walls scared everyone in the building.
Use this sense for objects; for a person's reaction, use adjective sense 1 instead.

trembling — noun

Word family

  • tremble
    verbB1
  • trembly
    adjectiveB2
  • tremor
    nounB2
  • tremulous
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe small, involuntary movements, but they differ in cause and feel. 'Shaking' is the broadest term — it covers anything from a rattling bus to a frightened child. 'Trembling' is more specific: it suggests a fine, rapid movement driven by emotion (fear, anger, excitement) or physical weakness. 'Quivering' points to a tiny, fast vibration, often of the voice or lips from nervousness. 'Shivering' is tied to cold or fever — it involves repeated muscle contractions the body uses to generate heat. 'Tremulous' is a formal adjective used mainly in writing ('a tremulous smile') and carries a delicate, almost poetic tone. In everyday conversation, 'shaking' and 'trembling' are the most common; you would say 'His hands were trembling' for emotion, but 'I am shivering' for cold.

shaking ↗quiveringshivering ↗tremulous

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • begin to tremble
  • start trembling
  • can't stop trembling

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Middle English 'tremblyn', based on Old French 'trembler' meaning 'to shake with fear.' This in turn came from Latin 'tremulare' ('to shake, quiver'), which is related to 'tremere' ('to tremble') and the noun 'tremor' ('a shaking'). The same ancient root appears in Greek 'tremein' (to tremble) and Lithuanian 'trimti' (to shake). The modern use for objects and surfaces ('trembling ground') developed in the 1500s as a natural extension from the human emotional meaning.