quivering

/ˈkwɪvərɪŋ/

/ˈkwɪvəɪŋ/

Other forms: quiverings

Quivering means trembling. If your dog begins quivering with fear whenever someone knocks on your door, he's not much use as a guard dog.

When something's shaking gently, like a candle flame shivering slightly in a breeze, you can describe it as quivering. On a windy day, you might see the leaves of trees or the ruffled feathers of a bird quivering in the wind. There are a few theories about the origin of the word quivering including the possibility that the word quiver was developed onomatopoeically — or creating a word that sounds like its meaning, like a vibrating kind of shiver.

Definitions of quivering

1. noun

   the act of vibrating
   synonyms: quiver, vibration

   types:

   shudder, tremor

   an involuntary vibration (as if from illness or fear)

   type of:

   motility, motion, move, movement

   a change of position that does not entail a change of location
2. noun

   a shaky motion
   synonyms: palpitation, quiver, shakiness, shaking, trembling, vibration

   types:

   tremolo

   (music) a tremulous effect produced by rapid repetition of a single tone or rapid alternation of two tones

   tremor

   shaking or trembling (usually resulting from weakness or stress or disease)

   essential tremor

   tremor of unknown cause (usually of the hands and head) that develops in older people; often mistaken for Parkinsonism but is not life-threatening and can usually be kept under control

   type of:

   motion

   a state of change