Shaking — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun phrase adjective /ˈshāk/ (verb) /ˈwərl(d)-ˌshā-kiŋ/ (adjective)

Meaning & Definition of Shaking

Shaking (verb)

  1. to move irregularly to and fro
  2. to vibrate especially as the result of a blow or shock
  3. to tremble as a result of physical or emotional disturbance
  4. to take up temporary quarters
  5. to occupy an improvised or makeshift bed
  6. to become accustomed especially to new surroundings or duties
  7. to prove to be in the end, turn out
  8. chide, scold
  9. to jar by or as if by a physical shock
  10. to effect an extensive and often drastic reorganization of
  11. to shake hands to show agreement

Shaking (noun)

  1. parkinson's disease

Shaking (phrase)

  1. very nervous
  2. dance
  3. to hurry up
  4. to form a conception of (as by counting or imagining), conceive —usually used in the phrase more than one can shake a stick at

Shaking (adjective)

  1. earthshaking

Shaking (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements

    "suffered a shaking chill during his bout with the flu"

    similar: aquiver, atremble, quaking, quavery, quivering, shaky, shuddering, shuddery, tottering, tottery, trembling, trembly, tremulous, wobbling, wobbly
    related: convulsive, shivering, shivery, rocky, staggery, unstable, unsteady, wavering, wavery, palpitating, pulsating, throbbing
    near: controlled, firm, settled, stable, steady

Shaking (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side

    "gave the bottle of salad dressing a good shaking"

    similar: jiggling, oscillation, quivering, shivering, shuddering, trembling, twitching, vibration
    related: juddering (chiefly British), quaking, rocking, jiggle, palpitation, quiver, shake, shiver, shudder, tremble, tremor, twitch

  2. the act or a means of getting or keeping away from something undesirable

    "condemned the government's shaking of its overseas responsibilities"

    similar: avoidance, cop-out, dodging, ducking, eluding, elusion, escape, eschewal, eschewing, evasion, out, shunning
    related: bypassing, circumvention, runaround, sidestepping, skirting, averting, deflection, obviation, precluding, prevention
    near: abidance, endurance, submission, toleration

Shaking (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make a series of small irregular or violent movements

    "the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road"

    similar: agitating, bucketing, convulsing, jerking, jiggling, joggling, jolting, jouncing, juddering (chiefly British), quaking, quivering, shuddering, vibrating, wobbling
    related: rocking, swaying, swinging, chattering, quavering, shivering, thrilling, trembling, twitching, doddering, wavering, flickering, fluctuating, fluttering, oscillating, undulating, waving, beating, palpitating, pit-a-patting, pitter-pattering, pulsating, pulsing, throbbing

  2. to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery

    "we shook our pursuers by cutting through the abandoned lot"

    similar: avoiding, dodging, ducking, eluding, escaping, eschewing, evading, finessing, getting around, scaping, shirking, shuffling (out of), shunning, weaseling (out of), fighting shy of, keeping clear of, staying clear of, steering clear of
    related: missing, averting, deflecting, diverting, obviating, parrying, preventing, warding (off), banning, barring, debarring, eliminating, excepting, excluding, precluding, ruling out, bypassing, circumventing, skirting, foiling, foxing, frustrating, outfoxing, outsmarting, outwitting, overreaching, thwarting
    near: accepting, courting, embracing, pursuing, seeking, welcoming, catching, contracting, incurring

Related Entry: Shake (verb)

Shake is a different word from Shaking. The synonyms below are for shake, not for shaking.

  1. to make a series of small irregular or violent movements

    "the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road"

    similar: agitate, bucket, convulse, jerk, jiggle, joggle, jolt, jounce, judder (chiefly British), quake, quiver, shudder, vibrate, wobble
    related: rock, sway, swing, chatter, quaver, shiver, thrill, tremble, twitch, dodder, waver, flicker, fluctuate, flutter, oscillate, undulate, wave, beat, palpitate, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, pulsate, pulse, throb

  2. to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery

    "we shook our pursuers by cutting through the abandoned lot"

    similar: avoid, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, finesse, get around, scape, shirk, shuffle (out of), shun, weasel (out of), fight shy of, keep clear of, stay clear of, steer clear of
    related: miss, avert, deflect, divert, obviate, parry, prevent, ward (off), ban, bar, debar, eliminate, except, exclude, preclude, rule out, bypass, circumvent, skirt, foil, fox, frustrate, outfox, outsmart, outwit, overreach, thwart
    near: accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome, catch, contract, incur

Related Entry: Shaking (off) (verb)

Shaking (off) is a different word from Shaking. The synonyms below are for shaking (off), not for shaking.

  1. as in recovering (from), rallying

    similar: rallying, rebounding, recovering (from), coming back, gaining, healing, mending, recouping, recovering, recuperating, snapping back
    opposite: catching, coming down (with), contracting, getting, going down (with) (chiefly British), sickening (with), taking, breaking out (with), dying (from), succumbing (to)

Related Entry: Shaking down (verb)

Shaking down is a different word from Shaking. The synonyms below are for shaking down, not for shaking.

  1. to rob by the use of trickery or threats

    "the rumor is that he started his career shaking people down as an enforcer for the mob"

    similar: beating, bilking, bleeding, cheating, chiseling, chousing, conning, cozening, defrauding, diddling, doing, doing in, euchring, fiddling, fleecing, flimflamming, gaffing, hosing (slang), hustling, mulcting, nobbling (British slang), plucking, reaming, ripping off, rooking, screwing, shortchanging, shorting, skinning, skunking, squeezing, sticking, stiffing, stinging, suckering, swindling, thimblerigging, victimizing, selling a bill of goods to, taking for a ride, taking to the cleaners
    related: extorting, wrenching, wresting, wringing, clipping, gouging, nicking, overcharging, soaking, exploiting, milking, deceiving, duping, fooling, gulling, tricking, roping (in), betraying, bitching, double-crossing, bamboozling, fast-talking

Related Entry: Shaking out (verb)

Shaking out is a different word from Shaking. The synonyms below are for shaking out, not for shaking.

  1. to come to be

    "after hearing about all the elaborate planning, I can't wait to see how that wedding shakes out"

    similar: coming out, falling out, panning out, proving, turning out
    related: developing, emerging, evolving, germinating, playing out, unfolding, working out

Related Entry: Shaking up (verb)

Shaking up is a different word from Shaking. The synonyms below are for shaking up, not for shaking.

  1. to cause an unpleasant surprise for

    "the news that we had failed the auto inspection shook us up"

    similar: appalling, flooring, jolting, shocking, knocking for a loop
    related: astonishing, bowling over, dumbfounding, flabbergasting, freaking (out), stunning, stupefying, affrighting, alarming, dismaying, frightening, frighting, horrifying, panicking, scarifying, scaring, spooking, startling, terrifying, terrorizing, disgusting, nauseating, repelling, revolting, sickening, turning off, displeasing, offending, outraging, scandalizing, amazing, astounding, awing, chilling, daunting, demoralizing, dispiriting, emasculating, undoing, unmanning, unnerving, unstringing, discomforting, discomposing, disconcerting, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, shaking, unsettling, upsetting, weirding out, crushing, overpowering, overwhelming
    near: buffering, cushioning, delighting, gratifying, pleasing, rejoicing, tickling, charming, enticing, tempting, assuring, cheering, comforting, consoling, solacing, soothing, reassuring

Related Entry: Shaking a leg (phrase)

Shaking a leg is a different word from Shaking. The synonyms below are for shaking a leg, not for shaking.

  1. to perform a series of usually rhythmic bodily movements to music

    "The DJ played music that was sure to make every party guest get up and shake a leg."

    similar: dancing, footing (it), hoofing (it), stepping, tripping the light fantastic
    related: prancing, strutting, tripping, boogying, bopping, fox-trotting, gavotting, jigging, jitterbugging, jiving, mamboing, polkaing, shagging, shimmying, shuffling, tangoing, tap-dancing, twisting, waltzing, treading

  2. to proceed or move quickly

    "We'd better shake a leg if we want to make the movie!"

    similar: barreling, belting, blasting, blazing, blowing, bolting, bombing (slang), bowling, breezing, bundling, bustling, buzzing, cannonballing, careening, careering, chasing, coursing, cracking (on), dashing, driving, flying, haring, hastening, highballing, hotfooting (it), humping, hurling, hurrying, hurtling, hustling, hying, jetting, jumping, motoring, nipping, pelting, racing, ramming, ripping, rocketing, running, rushing, rustling, scooting, scurrying, scuttling, shooting, speeding, stepping, tearing, traveling, trotting, whirling, whisking, zipping, zooming, beating it, getting a move on, making tracks, stepping on it
    related: beetling, darting, flitting, scampering, scudding, scuffling, stampeding, streaking, whizzing, galloping, jogging, sprinting, accelerating, quickening, stepping out, catching up, fast-forwarding, outpacing, outrunning, outstripping, overtaking, arrowing, beelining
    opposite: crawling, creeping, poking
    near: dallying, dawdling, dillydallying, dragging, hanging (around or out), lagging, lingering, loitering, poking, tarrying, ambling, lumbering, plodding, sauntering, shuffling, strolling, decelerating, slowing (down or up)

Related Entry: Shake down (verb)

Shake down is a different word from Shaking. The synonyms below are for shake down, not for shaking.

  1. to rob by the use of trickery or threats

    "the rumor is that he started his career shaking people down as an enforcer for the mob"

    similar: beat, bilk, bleed, cheat, chisel, chouse, con, cozen, defraud, diddle, do, do in, euchre, fiddle, fleece, flimflam, gaff, hose (slang), hustle, mulct, nobble (British slang), pluck, ream, rip off, rook, screw, short, shortchange, skin, skunk, squeeze, stick, stiff, sting, sucker, swindle, thimblerig, victimize, sell a bill of goods to, take for a ride, take to the cleaners
    related: extort, wrench, wrest, wring, clip, gouge, nick, overcharge, soak, exploit, milk, deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick, rope (in), betray, bitch, double-cross, bamboozle, fast-talk

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Shaking

The most common words with a similar meaning to Shaking:

Chiefly British: juddering
aquiver, atremble, quaking, quavery, quivering, shaky, shuddering, shuddery, tottering, tottery, trembling, trembly, tremulous, wobbling, wobbly, jiggling, oscillation, shivering, twitching, vibration, avoidance, cop-out, dodging, ducking, eluding, elusion, escape, eschewal, eschewing, evasion, out, shunning, agitating, bucketing, convulsing, jerking, joggling, jolting, jouncing, vibrating

Related Words for Shaking

convulsive, shivery, rocky, staggery, unstable, unsteady, wavering, wavery, palpitating, pulsating, throbbing, rocking, jiggle, palpitation, quiver, shake, shiver, shudder, tremble, tremor, twitch, bypassing, circumvention, runaround, sidestepping, skirting, averting, deflection, obviation, precluding

Near Antonyms of Shaking

controlled, firm, settled, stable, steady, abidance, endurance, submission, toleration, accepting, courting, embracing, pursuing, seeking, welcoming, catching, contracting, incurring

Word Forms of Shaking

Inflections: shook, shaken, shook down, shaken down, shaking down, shakes down, shook out, shaken out, shaking out, shakes out, shook up, shaken up, shaking up, shakes up, shook on, shaken on, shaking on, shakes on

Derived words: shakable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Shaking

Middle English, from Old English sceacan; akin to Old Norse skaka to shake

First known use: before 12th centuryi

Words & Phrases Containing Shaking

shaking palsy, shaking in one's boots/shoes, world-shaking

Frequently Asked Questions about Shaking

What does "Shaking" mean?

"Shaking" means to move irregularly to and fro. As an a verb, a noun, a phrase and an adjective, it is defined as: to move irregularly to and fro. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Shaking"?

Other words for "Shaking" include aquiver, atremble, quaking, quavery, quivering, shaky, shuddering and shuddery. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Shaking" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Shaking"?

There are 124 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Shaking". Common alternatives include aquiver, atremble, quaking, quavery, quivering, shaky, shuddering, shuddery, tottering and tottery.

How do you use "Shaking" in a sentence?

Examples of "Shaking" in a sentence: "suffered a shaking chill during his bout with the flu"; "gave the bottle of salad dressing a good shaking"; "condemned the government's shaking of its overseas responsibilities".

Is "Shaking" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Shaking" can be used as a verb, a noun, a phrase and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Shaking"?

"Shaking" is pronounced /ˈshāk/ as a verb and /ˈwərl(d)-ˌshā-kiŋ/ as an adjective.

What is the origin of the word "Shaking"?

"Shaking" comes from Middle English, from Old English sceacan; akin to Old Norse skaka to shake. First known use: before 12th centuryi.

What is another word for "Shaking" meaning "marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements"?

When "Shaking" (adjective) means marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements, synonyms include aquiver, atremble, quaking, quavery, quivering and shaky.