SHUDDERING Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

shuddering 1 of 3

adjective

as in shaking

marked by or given to small uncontrollable bodily movements with a shuddering extension of his hand, the poor beggar asked for a little charity

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shuddering

2 of 3

noun

as in trembling

a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side tried to control the shuddering of his hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

shuddering

3 of 3

verb

present participle of shudder

as in jerking

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements huddled in the basement, we shuddered with fear as we heard the approaching tornado

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of shuddering

Noun

The director again shows his action smarts by creating a brief lull — albeit while leaning hard on one of the more sudsy passages of composer Fernando Velázquez’s generic score — before the next shuddering impact sends the number of casualties skyrocketing. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026 Fellow clubgoers splashed cold water on his face in an attempt to stop the shuddering. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025

Verb

There’s the studio version, which has some really interesting production, with Meg’s shuddering percussion that eventually grates and distracts, and Jack’s very chunky guitar. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026 These seemingly innocuous incidents attain new significance as they’re revisited alongside a slow crescendo that suddenly turns to shuddering piano chords on the track’s bridge. — Nick Ayres Demasi, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026 Choose Baits with Vibration Lipless crankbaits earn their keep each spring, as their shuddering motion creates the bait-mimicking tremors to which bass respond. — David A. Brown, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026 A lot of people are upset by the notion of bringing cage fights to the White House, shuddering at the bad taste of it all. — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026 Design practices Not knowing ahead of time what lunar explorers may face is an unsure, shuddering proposition. — Leonard David, Space.com, 20 June 2026 Environmental groups, though, are shuddering about the details the new ballot measure could bring. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026 The series opens as City’s record-breaking run of 26 games unbeaten comes to a shuddering halt, with a string of defeats in late 2024 leaving Guardiola visibly shaken. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 June 2026 That brewery is taking over Headflyer's space after closing its own Nordeast taproom in 2023, then shuddering entirely last year before rising from the ashes months later. — Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 14 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shuddering

Adjective

Standing 10 yards in front of us on a corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue was a shivering elderly woman who looked lost.

— Richard Greenberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
What she’s produced is a searching, pointedly disorienting text, studded with passages of extreme beauty and generous humor, that wears whimsy like a shivering veil over consuming discomfort, even terror.

— Paul McAdory, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025

Definition of shivering

Noun

Betelgeuse and the Pleiades hung—one billowing, one trembling—out of sight somewhere past the window frame.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
When the trembling decreased, the 27-year-old mother took the stairs seven stories down with her young child in her arms and evacuated the building.

— Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of trembling

Verb

That afternoon, the president, inside the exposition’s ornate Temple of Music, greeted members of the public, shaking hands and warmly inviting them to explore the fair.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
The handcuffs were taken off, and he was allowed to board, shaking with shock.

— Shimon Prokupecz, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of shaking

Adjective

But if instead its excess savings finance unproductive investment at home or drive high household consumption, asset bubbles, or persistent fiscal deficits in the economies of its trading partners, the whole system becomes increasingly shaky.

— MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Cowing is clearly the team’s best option at punt returner, while Watkins has been shaky there during practice.

— Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of shaky

Noun

Surprising Fact The National Gallery of Art, which is located on Constitution Avenue and nearby Pennsylvania Avenue, boarded up some of its outdoor sculptures after conducting a vibration study for the race, according to NPR.

— Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Some art experts have expressed concern that vibrations from the track construction and race itself could damage the artifacts inside.

— Rachel Treisman, NPR, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of vibration

Verb

But each of its eight-and-a-half minutes introduces a subtle mutation, rotating buzzing electronics and quivering guitars into the spotlight.

— Arman Khan, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026
Located on the street level of the Harbor Boulevard complex, the new shop gives dessert-loving denizens another place to pick up the quivering treat.

— Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 26 May 2026

Definition of quivering

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shuddered

shuddering

shudders

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“Shuddering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shuddering. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of shuddering

adjective

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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