tremulous
adjective
trem·u·lous ˈtrem-yə-ləs 
1
: characterized by or affected with trembling or tremors
2
: affected with timidity : timorous
3
: such as is or might be caused by nervousness or shakiness
a tremulous smile
4
: exceedingly sensitive : easily shaken or disordered
tremulously adverb
tremulousness noun
Did you know?
Are you shaky on the meaning of tremulous?
Do you suspect that tremulous must be closely related to tremble? If so, you're right. Both of those words derive from the Latin verb tremere, which means "to tremble." Some other English offspring of tremere are tremor, tremendous, temblor (another word for earthquake), and tremolo (a term that describes a vibrating and quavering musical effect that was particularly popular for electric guitars and organs in the 1970s).
Synonyms
- fainthearted
- fearful
- fearsome
- mousy
- mousey
- scary
- shy
- skittish
- timid
- timorous
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
She opened the letter with tremulous hands. He spoke with a tremulous voice.
Recent Examples on the Web With it, O’Farrell demonstrates fiction’s ability to offer counter narratives to those of received history, to open before us imaginative abundance and a tremulous sense of possibility. 
Priscilla Gilman, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 His voice trips between tremulous Christensen and baritone Jones. Darren Franich, EW.com, 22 June 2022 And Minnelli is clearly aware of the force of her performance, creating long takes that serve as a sort of proscenium as well as urgent closeups that burst with her tremulous power. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 June 2022 In high, tremulous voices, the Sisters of the Holy Family were chanting their midday prayers when a child’s gleeful shout echoed from a nearby corridor, punctuating the solemn incantation. Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2022 Garnish as one desires, perhaps with a juicy blackberry or a hothouse flower, something dewy and tremulous, to be sure. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2022 Ronnie Spector, whose hard-edged yet tremulous voice soared on the Ronettes’ girl-group hits of the early ‘60s, died on Wednesday of cancer. Chris Morris, Variety, 12 Jan. 2022 Willingham’s tremulous narrative voice might have some readers reaching for a calming agent, too, but her denouement is both surprising and plausible. Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2022 The continuing, tremulous nodding of her head registers as a direct consequence of having worked too hard and too long to be a reassuring wife. New York Times, 3 Aug. 2021 See More
Priscilla Gilman, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 His voice trips between tremulous Christensen and baritone Jones. Darren Franich, EW.com, 22 June 2022 And Minnelli is clearly aware of the force of her performance, creating long takes that serve as a sort of proscenium as well as urgent closeups that burst with her tremulous power. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 June 2022 In high, tremulous voices, the Sisters of the Holy Family were chanting their midday prayers when a child’s gleeful shout echoed from a nearby corridor, punctuating the solemn incantation. Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2022 Garnish as one desires, perhaps with a juicy blackberry or a hothouse flower, something dewy and tremulous, to be sure. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2022 Ronnie Spector, whose hard-edged yet tremulous voice soared on the Ronettes’ girl-group hits of the early ‘60s, died on Wednesday of cancer. Chris Morris, Variety, 12 Jan. 2022 Willingham’s tremulous narrative voice might have some readers reaching for a calming agent, too, but her denouement is both surprising and plausible. Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2022 The continuing, tremulous nodding of her head registers as a direct consequence of having worked too hard and too long to be a reassuring wife. New York Times, 3 Aug. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Latin tremulus — more at tremble
First Known Use
1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
tremulous
adjective
trem·u·lous ˈtre-myə-ləs
1
: marked by trembling or shaking
… quite near him were two rabbits sitting up and sniffing with tremulous noses … Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden2
: fearful sense 2, timid
Medical Definition
tremulous
adjective
trem·u·lous ˈtrem-yə-ləs
: characterized by or affected with trembling or tremors
tremulous
adjective
1
as in timid
easily frightened a tremulous girl somehow mustered up the courage to ask a question of the governor Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- timid
- fearful
- timorous
- scary
- shy
- mousy
- terrified
- scared
- yellow
- fearsome
- mousey
- startled
- afraid
- fainthearted
- anxious
- panicked
- pusillanimous
- skittish
- craven
- apprehensive
- unheroic
- nervous
- jittery
- jumpy
- alarmed
- cowardly
- panicky
- gutless
- spooky
- dastardly
- poltroon
- spineless
- chicken
- horrified
- spooked
- chickenhearted
- shocked
- panic-stricken
- unnerved
- lily-livered
- milk-livered
- chicken-livered
- terrorized
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- daring
- bold
- audacious
- venturous
- adventurous
- venturesome
- hardy
- brave
- gutsy
- gallant
- dashing
- heroical
- heroic
- courageous
- undaunted
- valiant
- dauntless
- stout
- adventuresome
- intrepid
- valorous
- fearless
- stalwart
- confident
- resolute
- stouthearted
- unflinching
- unswerving
- assured
- plucky
- spirited
- doughty
- firm
- lionhearted
- undeterred
- greathearted
- determined
- self-assured
- mettlesome
- game
- spunky
- self-confident
2
as in trembling
marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements the frail woman extended a tremulous hand in welcome Synonyms & Similar Words
- trembling
- trembly
- quivering
- shaking
- shuddering
- shaky
- shivering
- quavery
- wobbly
- shuddery
- quaking
- aquiver
- atremble
- wobbling
- tottery
- tottering
- wabbling
- convulsive
- unsteady
- throbbing
- wabbly
- shivery
- wavering
- wavery
- palpitating
- rocky
- unstable
- pulsating
- staggery
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- steady
- stable
- controlled
- firm
- settled