Trembling, Shivering and Shaking Are Not the Same
To tremble is to shake slightly and involuntarily. Cold, fear and medical tremor produce different kinds of shaking.
To tremble is to shake with small involuntary movements. Three causes are usually distinguished: *shivering* is muscle activity generating heat when you are cold, *trembling* is the response to fear or strain, and a *tremor* is a rhythmic shaking with a medical cause. They look similar and are not the same thing.
- To shake slightly. *His hands trembled.*
- To be afraid. *Tremble at the thought.*
- A shaking movement. *A tremble in her voice.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | tremble | Tremble with cold. |
| Past | trembled | She trembled. |
| Noun | tremble | A slight tremble. |
| Adjective | trembling | Trembling hands. |
| Related | tremor | An essential tremor. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Her voice trembled slightly.Emotion.
- He was shivering, not trembling.Cold rather than fear.
- An earth tremor woke the village.Seismic.
Kinds of shaking
- Shivering — heat-generating muscle activity in the cold
- Trembling — a response to fear, anger or exertion
- Tremor — rhythmic involuntary shaking with a medical cause
- Essential tremor — the most common movement disorder
- Earth tremor — a small earthquake
From Old French *trembler*, from Latin *tremulare*, from *tremere*, to shake — the same root as *tremor*, *tremendous* and *tremulous*.
Why does *tremendous* mean huge?
Because it originally meant causing trembling, hence awe-inspiring. The fear dropped away and the size remained.
Tremble or shiver?
Shivering is caused by cold and generates heat. Trembling is usually emotional or from exertion.