shake
1 of 2verb
ˈshāk 
shook ˈshu̇k ; shaken ˈshā-kən ; shaking
; shaken ˈshā-kən ; shaking intransitive 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
shook with fear
4
: to experience a state of instability : totter
5
: to briskly move something to and fro or up and down especially in order to mix
6
: to clasp hands
7
: trill entry 2
transitive verb
1
: to brandish, wave, or flourish often in a threatening manner
protesters shaking their fists
2
: to cause to move to and fro, up and down, or from side to side especially in a repetitive, rhythmic, or quick jerky manner
shook his head in disapproval
3
: to cause to quake, quiver, or tremble
4
a
: to free oneself from
shake a habit
shake off a cold
b
: to get away from : get rid of
can you shake your friend? I want to talk to you alone
Elmer Davis
Elmer Davis5
: to lessen the stability of : weaken
shake one's faith
6
: to bring to a specified condition by or as if by repeated quick jerky movements
shook himself loose from the man's grasp
7
: to dislodge or eject by quick jerky movements of the support or container
shook the dust from the cloth
8
: to clasp (hands) in greeting or farewell or as a sign of goodwill or agreement
9
: to stir the feelings of : upset, agitate
shook her up
10
: trill entry 2
shakable adjective
or shakeable
ˈshā-kə-bəl
shake
2 of 2noun
1
: an act of shaking: such as
a
: an act of shaking hands
b
: an act of shaking oneself
2
a
: a blow or shock that upsets the equilibrium or disturbs the balance of something
b
: earthquake
3
shakes plural
a
: a condition of trembling or nervousness
specifically : delirium tremens
b
: malaria sense 1a
4
: something produced by shaking: such as
a
: a fissure separating annual rings of growth in timber
b(1)
: milkshake
(2)
: a beverage resembling a milkshake
a protein shake
5
: a wavering, quivering, or alternating motion caused by a blow or shock
6
: trill
7
: a very brief period of time
I'll be there in two shakes
8
shakes plural : one that is exceptional especially in importance, ability, or merit —usually used in the phrase no great shakes
9
: a shingle split from a piece of log usually three or four feet (about one meter) long
10
: deal entry 2 sense 3
a fair shake
Synonyms
Verb
- agitate
- bucket
- convulse
- jerk
- jiggle
- joggle
- jolt
- jounce
- judder [chiefly British]
- quake
- quiver
- shudder
- vibrate
- wobble
- wabble
Noun
- beat
- eyeblink
- flash
- heartbeat
- instant
- jiff
- jiffy
- minute
- moment
- nanosecond
- New York minute
- second
- split second
- trice
- twinkle
- twinkling
- wink
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb The ground shook during the earthquake. The house shook as the train rumbled by. The earthquake shook the ground. Shake the salad dressing well before using it. I was so nervous that I was shaking like a leaf. The fugitive couldn't shake the police. It's hard to shake the feeling that I'm forgetting something. The news did nothing to shake my belief that things will be okay. Nothing could shake his faith in God. Noun He responded to the question with a shake of his head. Give the dice a shake. He drank too much coffee and got a bad case of the shakes. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Ian Lovett, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2022 Sickly yellow grasses shake in the breeze, and rings of mud surround shallow rainwater ponds. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sep. 2022 His stepfather, however, cannot shake the dread of what would happen if there were another shooting. Paul J. Weber, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Sep. 2022 Memories of horrors witnessed can be hard to shake. New York Times, 11 July 2022 Still, his preference for in-person work is hard to shake. Katie Johnston, BostonGlobe.com, 4 July 2022 But fully vaccinated has been hard to shake, even for the CDC. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 23 June 2022 Consumers often rein in spending as gloom sets in, giving recessions a psychological component that can be hard to shake. Allison Morrow, CNN, 12 June 2022 Baker puts you inside these worlds in a way that’s hard to shake. John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2022 oregonlive, 18 Aug. 2022 Simply blend one vanilla bean, ice cream, and half-and-half for vanilla shake perfection. Samantha Lande, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2022 The foreclosure, which is in the earliest stages and could still be averted, is an early sign of a shake-out that may come to the city’s downtown office market in the fallout from COVID-19. Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2022 But an aggressive 5G build out—while important in the long run—isn’t necessarily a positive for an industry that is only now fully capitalizing on 4G after the big shake-out triggered by Jio’s disruptive 2016 entry into the telecom business. Megha Mandavia, WSJ, 2 Aug. 2022 For an icy dessert like no other, consider the falooda, a supremely indulgent rose petal shake layered with malai kulfi, rice noodles, basil seeds and rose syrup. Megha Mcswain, Chron, 15 July 2022 The burger joint is offering buy one shake and get one free every weekday for the rest of the summer. Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE.com, 15 July 2022 Christian Reynoso’s Date, Banana and Almond Smoothie tastes very much like the Coachella Valley date shake that inspired it. Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2022 Add the gin, dry vermouth, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, a few strawberries and an egg white (or vegan alternative) into a cocktail shaker and dry shake (without ice). Emily Burack, Town & Country, 27 June 2022 See More
Verb
Explosions shake the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson throughout the day. Ian Lovett, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2022 Sickly yellow grasses shake in the breeze, and rings of mud surround shallow rainwater ponds. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sep. 2022 His stepfather, however, cannot shake the dread of what would happen if there were another shooting. Paul J. Weber, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Sep. 2022 Memories of horrors witnessed can be hard to shake. New York Times, 11 July 2022 Still, his preference for in-person work is hard to shake. Katie Johnston, BostonGlobe.com, 4 July 2022 But fully vaccinated has been hard to shake, even for the CDC. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 23 June 2022 Consumers often rein in spending as gloom sets in, giving recessions a psychological component that can be hard to shake. Allison Morrow, CNN, 12 June 2022 Baker puts you inside these worlds in a way that’s hard to shake. John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2022 Noun
Not surprisingly, his regular dinner order at McDonald’s — two McDoubles, two McChickens, 20 chicken nuggets, large fries, large shake and large soda — packed on pounds. oregonlive, 18 Aug. 2022 Simply blend one vanilla bean, ice cream, and half-and-half for vanilla shake perfection. Samantha Lande, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2022 The foreclosure, which is in the earliest stages and could still be averted, is an early sign of a shake-out that may come to the city’s downtown office market in the fallout from COVID-19. Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2022 But an aggressive 5G build out—while important in the long run—isn’t necessarily a positive for an industry that is only now fully capitalizing on 4G after the big shake-out triggered by Jio’s disruptive 2016 entry into the telecom business. Megha Mandavia, WSJ, 2 Aug. 2022 For an icy dessert like no other, consider the falooda, a supremely indulgent rose petal shake layered with malai kulfi, rice noodles, basil seeds and rose syrup. Megha Mcswain, Chron, 15 July 2022 The burger joint is offering buy one shake and get one free every weekday for the rest of the summer. Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE.com, 15 July 2022 Christian Reynoso’s Date, Banana and Almond Smoothie tastes very much like the Coachella Valley date shake that inspired it. Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2022 Add the gin, dry vermouth, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, a few strawberries and an egg white (or vegan alternative) into a cocktail shaker and dry shake (without ice). Emily Burack, Town & Country, 27 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from Old English sceacan; akin to Old Norse skaka to shake
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing shake
Kids Definition
shake 1 of 2
verb
ˈshāk
shook
ˈshu̇k
; shaken ˈshā-kən
; shaking 1
: to make or cause to make quick movements back and forth or up and down
The ground shook.
Squirrels shook the branches.
2
: to tremble or make tremble : quiver
She was so frightened her legs began to shake.
3
: to move from side to side
I shook my head.
4
: to grasp and move up and down
After reaching an agreement, they shook hands.
5
: to get away from
She ran faster, but couldn't shake the dog.
6
: to make less firm : weaken
After being beaten badly their confidence was shaken.
7
: to cause to be, become, go, or move by or as if by using a quick back and forth motion
We can shake apples from the tree.
shake
2 of 2noun
: a quick back and forth or up and down movement
shake 1 of 2
verb
1
as in to jerk
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- jerk
- shudder
- vibrate
- tremble
- quiver
- shiver
- jiggle
- sway
- wobble
- jolt
- convulse
- agitate
- bucket
- twitch
- quake
- joggle
- jounce
- swing
- rock
- wabble
- wave
- flutter
- throb
- judder
- flicker
- thrill
- pulse
- waver
- chatter
- quaver
- oscillate
- undulate
- fluctuate
- pulsate
- palpitate
- beat
- dodder
- pit-a-pat
- pitter-patter
2
as in to evade
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery we shook our pursuers by cutting through the abandoned lot Synonyms & Similar Words
- evade
- avoid
- escape
- deflect
- elude
- eschew
- scape
- dodge
- shun
- prevent
- eliminate
- duck
- fight shy of
- shuffle (out of)
- keep clear of
- get around
- steer clear of
- weasel (out of)
- shirk
- stay clear of
- miss
- thwart
- finesse
- avert
- exclude
- parry
- preclude
- circumvent
- rule out
- obviate
- outsmart
- except
- foil
- ban
- ward (off)
- outwit
- divert
- debar
- bar
- frustrate
- bypass
- overreach
- fox
- outfox
- skirt
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- accept
- seek
- embrace
- welcome
- pursue
- catch
- incur
- court
- contract
shake
2 of 2noun
1
as in minute
a very small space of time I'll be there in two shakes Synonyms & Similar Words
- minute
- second
- heartbeat
- moment
- instant
- split second
- wink
- beat
- trice
- jiffy
- twinkle
- twinkling
- nanosecond
- flash
- jiff
- snatch
- New York minute
- eyeblink
- microsecond
- spurt
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- forever
- age
- eternity
- lifetime
- infinity
- eon
- aeon
2
as in shivers
shakes plural a sense of panic or extreme nervousness I get the shakes every time I hear her voice Synonyms & Similar Words
- shivers
- nerves
- butterflies
- jitters
- willies
- creeps
- heebie-jeebies
- screaming meemies
- hysteria
- jimjams
- cold sweat
- goose bumps
- fidgets
- nervous breakdown
- fear
- whim-whams
- dither
- anxiety
- frazzle
- jumpiness
- agitation
- uneasiness
- skittishness
- edginess
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- calm
- composure
- tranquility
- equanimity
- tranquillity
- aplomb
- imperturbability
- self-possession
3
as in quake
a shaking of the earth the shake was a modest 3.1 on the Richter scale Synonyms & Similar Words
- quake
- tremor
- earthquake
- temblor
- shock
- convulsion
- upheaval
- aftershock
- foreshock
- seaquake
- microseism
- cataclysm
- microearthquake
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of shake are agitate, convulse, and rock. While all these words mean "to move up and down or to and fro with some violence," shake often carries a further implication of a particular purpose.
shake well before using
The words agitate and shake can be used in similar contexts, but agitate suggests a violent and prolonged tossing or stirring.
an ocean agitated by storms
The words convulse and shake are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, convulse suggests a violent pulling or wrenching as of a body in a paroxysm.
spectators were convulsed with laughter
In some situations, the words rock and shake are roughly equivalent. However, rock suggests a swinging or swaying motion resulting from violent impact or upheaval.
the whole city was rocked by the explosion