as in shaking
marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements
with a shuddering extension of his hand, the poor beggar asked for a little charity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in trembling
a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side
tried to control the shuddering of his hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in jerking
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
huddled in the basement, we shuddered with fear as we heard the approaching tornado
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shuddering
Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
With haunted vocal multitracking and big, shuddering beats, the album builds to a climax in which hope and fear are swept into the same rush of human experience.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
Green, who was crowned the inaugural champion back in December 2024, saw her first reign come to a shuddering halt at the hands of Zelina Vega.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Andy sighed, shuddering between them.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
The White House will be well aware of this fact, particularly in an environment where fiscally conservative Republicans will be shuddering at Uncle Sam’s $37 trillion (and growing) national debt.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2025
The shuddering horror of the Coldplay couple.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
Fellow clubgoers splashed cold water on his face in an attempt to stop the shuddering.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
Most of the camp was enclosed with an electrified fence, to keep out the Big Men, the massive, shuddering ursids that could not be named (more on that later).
—Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025
With haunted vocal multitracking and big, shuddering beats, the album builds to a climax in which hope and fear are swept into the same rush of human experience.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
Green, who was crowned the inaugural champion back in December 2024, saw her first reign come to a shuddering halt at the hands of Zelina Vega.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Andy sighed, shuddering between them.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
The White House will be well aware of this fact, particularly in an environment where fiscally conservative Republicans will be shuddering at Uncle Sam’s $37 trillion (and growing) national debt.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2025
The shuddering horror of the Coldplay couple.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shuddering
Noun
-
Its strength ranges from mild, causing little more discomfort than a slight trembling, to severe, in which passengers or flight crew can be thrown around the cabin and risk injury if not wearing seatbelts.—
Cat Rainsford,
Popular Science,
15 Jan. 2026
-
There’s Walter’s serene cello and Marjorie’s pensive, slightly coy violin, sometimes playful or petulant or, still, a little vain and secretive — other times thin and trembling, lost in the haze of dementia.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Figure skater Amber Glenn skated off the ice, shaking her head after an early landing bobble during today's competition.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Both physical strength and constant mental attention are required for this sport in order to control heart rate and shaking in the muscles.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After 10 weeks without food, Muraisi is experiencing involuntary muscular twitching and severe chest pains, according to Prisoners for Palestine, with her doctors warning of possible cardiovascular collapse.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Patients first experience twitching or weakness in a limb, as Decker did.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The room sighs in relief a second later when Buckley reanimates, jerking and flailing like a soul possessed, grinning maniacally — all on purpose, inspired by the earlier veil snafu.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Feb. 2026
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Some signs that the carburetor is clogged on a snow blower are starting then dying a few seconds afterward, jerking, sputtering noises, and black smoke emitting from the exhaust.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That week’s host, Emily Blunt, did the trembly voice-over.—
Michael Schulman,
The New Yorker,
21 Dec. 2020
Noun
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Anyone who has experienced a sound bath will recognize how quickly rhythmic sound and vibration can induce a sense of calm.—
Chloe Burcham,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
-
This balancing service corrects the weight distribution of the tire and reduces vibrations from the road while driving.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Few things shake the confidence of a person like crawling to the top bunk of a quivering bed frame, your feet wrapping uncomfortably along the frail metal rungs of the ladder.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
27 Jan. 2026
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Over the years, Andrews has garnered comparisons to fellow Arizona native Linda Ronstadt for her rich, clear tone, which can modulate from quivering vibrato to crystalline belt on a dime.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Standing 10 yards in front of us on a corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue was a shivering elderly woman who looked lost.—
Richard Greenberg,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
What she’s produced is a searching, pointedly disorienting text, studded with passages of extreme beauty and generous humor, that wears whimsy like a shivering veil over consuming discomfort, even terror.—
Paul McAdory,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shuddering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shuddering. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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