shake
verb (MOVE) /ʃeɪk/ (shook, shaken)Definition
B1 [I or T] to move backwards and forwards or up and down in quick, short movements, or to make something or someone do this: A young boy climbed into the apple tree and shook the branches so that the fruit fell down. Babies like toys that make a noise when they're shaken. The explosion shook buildings for miles around. [+ obj + adj ] People in southern California were shaken awake by an earthquake. She shook her hair loose from its ribbon. Anna shook some powdered chocolate over her coffee. Every time one of these big trucks goes through the village, all the houses shake. The child's body was shaking with sobs.Shaking, swinging and vibrating B2 [I] If you are shaking, your body makes quick short movements, or you feel as if it is doing so, because you are frightened or nervous: She was shaking as she opened the letter. Her voice shook as she spoke about the person who attacked her. I was shaking in my shoes/boots (= very nervous) about having to tell Dad what I'd done. I was shaking like a leaf (= very nervous) before my exam.Making short, sudden movements shake sb's hand/shake sb by the hand B1 to hold someone's hand and move it up and down, especially when you meet them for the first time or when you make an agreement with them: "Pleased to meet you," he said, shaking my hand. The Princess was photographed shaking hands with AIDS victims. It seems that we have a deal, so let's shake (hands) on it. "Congratulations," she said, shaking the winner by the hand.Welcoming, greeting and greetingsGestures with the hands or arms shake your head B2 to move your head from side to side, in order to express disagreement, sadness, or that you do not want or believe something: I asked Tim if he'd seen Jackie lately but he shook his head. "That's incredible!" he said, shaking his head in disbelief.Gestures with the head or shoulders shake your fist › to hold your hand up in the air with your fingers and thumb bent, and move it forcefully backwards and forwards, to show that you are angry: He shook his fist at the driver who pulled out in front of him.Gestures with the hands or arms
(Definition of shake verb (MOVE) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
Browse related topics
You are looking at an entry to do with Shaking, swinging and vibrating, but you might be interested in these topics from the Movement and location topic area:
- Advancing and moving forward
- Arrivals and departures
- Arriving, entering and invading
- Backwards, sideways and back and forth
- Bending, twisting and curving
- Boarding and alighting from modes of transport
- Bouncing
- Changing direction
- Crossing and moving through
- Delivering and despatching
- Departing
- Describing movement towards
- Digging
- Direction of motion
- Down and downward
- Emitting and ejecting
- Evicting and forcing to leave
- Falling and dropping
- Fast and rapid
- General words for movement
- Immobility
- Increasing and decreasing speed of motion
- Inserting and forcing things into other things
- Jumping
- Making short, sudden movements
- Messengers and people who deliver things
- Movement
- Movement of liquids
- Movement on or through water
- Movement through the air
- Moving a long way on foot
- Moving downwards
- Moving firmly on foot
- Moving gently on foot
- Moving in order to avoid contact
- Moving on your hands and legs or on your stomach
- Moving quickly
- Moving to avoid being seen
- Moving unsteadily or with difficulty
- Moving upwards
- Not holding the body upright
- Phrases telling people to go away
- Physical gestures of respect
- Places and locations
- Placing and positioning an object
- Pleasant and make-believe places
- Posture
- Pulling
- Pursuing
- Pushing and shoving
- Raising and lowering
- Reclining
- Removing and extracting
- Returning to a place
- Revolving, rotating and spinning
- Runaways and refugees
- Running away and escaping
- Sitting and standing
- Slow and moving slowly
- Speed of motion
- Staying and remaining
- Stretching the body
- Taking someone somewhere or telling them the way
- Throwing
- Transferring and transporting objects
- Turning upside down
- Unpleasant places
- Up and upward
- Visiting
- Walking and walkers
Browse the Thesaurus
More Results for “shake”
SMART Thesaurus
Synonyms and related words:
- agitate verb (SHAKE)
- brandish verb
- churn verb (MOVE/MIX)
- flourish noun
- flourish verb (WAVE)
- fluff sth up phrasal verb
- flutter verb (MOVE)
- joggle verb
- resonate verb (MAKE SOUND)
- rocky adjective (UNSTEADY/UNCERTAIN)
- shake noun
- stir verb (MOVE)
- throb verb
- totter verb
- tremble noun
- tremble verb
- vibrate verb
- vibration noun
- wag noun (MOVE)
- wag verb
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
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gesticulate
to make movements with your hands or arms, to express something or to emphasize what you are saying
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