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

Verb

There’s seat-shaking violence in how the whale breaches the surface and slams its weight back down (the crafty sound design is by James Miller) and body horror in its claustrophobic, spongy inner chambers.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Just below the broad smile he’s been wearing all morning, John Ternus’ hands are shaking.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of shaking

Adjective

Stocks are near all-time highs, but the bond market looks much shakier and consumer confidence is decidedly sour even if people do keep spending.

— Evan Clark, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
On offense, the Rays' lineup got to Messick in the fourth thanks to some shaky Cleveland defense.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of shaky

Verb

And like any great sitcom, Friends runs the gamut from numbing brain-rot to tear-jerking sentimentality.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026
Even after a bailiff woke him up, Martin slumped over in his wheelchair, inside a courtroom bullpen, occasionally jerking and opening his eyes.

— Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of jerking

Noun

These devices are important components of optical atomic clocks, which use the vibrations of atoms at optical frequencies to measure time.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Bushings are components that help reduce vibration, according to WSB.

— Isa Mudannayake, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of vibration

Verb

And as Ternus thumbs through the $1,999-and-up phone, attempting to drag a photo into a text-message box, eagle-eyed viewers notice his hands quivering.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Ishibashi makes for a resilient and empathetic Junna, even as her character inevitably bears the brunt of much of the film’s divisive moralizing, while Emoto’s Morio is a quivering wreck of fragility and good intentions.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of shuddering

adjective

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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