vibration

vibration — noun

1. a fast, small, back‑and‑forth movement of an object, surface, or part of the bod

1.nounB1
Definition

a fast, small, back‑and‑forth movement of an object, surface, or part of the body, often causing a trembling sensation

Example

The vibration of the washing machine made the cups on the shelf rattle.

vibration of the washing machine (physical source)

Gabriel could feel the vibration of the train through the floor of his apartment.

feel the vibration of [object] through [surface]

Common collocations
  • feel vibration
  • cause vibration
  • reduce vibration
  • vibration level
  • vibration sensor
Synonyms
  • shaking

    more general term; does not imply the quick, regular oscillation of vibration

  • tremor

    suggests a brief, involuntary shaking, often of the body or ground

  • oscillation

    more technical; describes a regular back‑and‑forth motion, typically in physics or engineering

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

feel + vibration

vibration + of + [noun]

cause + vibration

Usage Note

Can be uncountable for the general phenomenon ('Vibration damages the engine') or countable for a specific instance ('a vibration in the floor'). The verb vibrate is more common for describing the action of a machine or object.

Common Mistakes

There was a strong vibration in the earthquake.
There was strong shaking during the earthquake.
'Vibration' describes small, fast movements; use 'shaking' or 'tremor' for large earth movements like earthquakes.

2. a particular feeling or atmosphere that seems to come from a person, place, or s

2.nounB2
Definition

a particular feeling or atmosphere that seems to come from a person, place, or situation — usually sensed as positive or negative

Example

The old cafe in Taipei has a warm, friendly vibration that makes customers want to stay.

a [adjective] + vibration (atmosphere of a place)

Yasmin felt a negative vibration as soon as she entered the empty house.

felt a [adjective] vibration (sensing atmosphere)

Common collocations
  • good vibrations
  • bad vibrations
  • positive vibration
  • negative vibration
  • creative vibration
Synonyms
  • vibe

    the common shortened form of 'vibration'; far more frequent in informal speech

  • atmosphere

    more general and neutral; lacks the intuitive, emotional connotation of 'vibration'

  • aura

    suggests a spiritual or mystical quality surrounding a person or thing

Grammar Patterns

vibration + of + [place/person]

a + [adjective] + vibration

Usage Note

Often shortened to 'vibe' in informal speech and writing. The plural form 'vibrations' is also common: 'I get good vibrations from this place.' This sense originated in 1960s American counterculture slang, based on the idea that people or places emit detectable emotional 'waves.'

Common Mistakes

I like the vibration of this restaurant — the food is great.
I like the vibe of this restaurant
it feels welcoming.' — The figurative sense refers to atmosphere and feeling, not food quality. The shortened form 'vibe' is more natural than 'vibration' in this meaning.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe movement, but they differ in scope and context. 'Shaking' is the broadest term — it can describe anything from a handshake to an earthquake. 'Tremor' suggests a brief, involuntary movement, often of the body (a nervous tremor) or the ground (an earth tremor). 'Oscillation' is more technical, referring to a predictable, regular back-and-forth motion, like a pendulum or an electrical signal. 'Vibrating' is the closest to 'vibration' as the noun form of the verb, but it focuses on the action rather than the phenomenon. For example: 'The train door was shaking' (general wobble) vs. 'The phone vibrated on the table' (small, fast motion) vs. 'The earthquake tremor lasted only seconds' (brief ground movement) vs. 'The pendulum's oscillation was perfectly regular' (scientific context).

shaking ↗tremoroscillation ↗vibrating

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • source of vibration
  • reduce vibration
  • dampen vibration

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'vibratio' (a shaking, a brandishing), from the verb 'vibrare' (to move quickly to and fro, shake, brandish). Entered English in the 1650s describing physical oscillation. The figurative sense — an emotional atmosphere or mood — emerged from American counterculture slang in the 1960s, based on the idea that people or places emit detectable 'waves' of feeling.