trembling

trembling — adjective

1. describes a person or part of their body that shakes in small, quick movements b

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describes a person or part of their body that shakes in small, quick movements because they are scared, angry, cold, or excited

例句

Christopher held out a trembling hand to show the officer his identification card.

trembling hand + check-in scenario

Salma's voice was trembling as she described the accident to the police officer.

voice + trembling from emotion

同義詞
  • shaking

    more general and common than trembling; can describe any kind of back-and-forth movement

  • quivering

    suggests a finer, more rapid vibration, often from fear or anticipation

  • shivering

    specifically related to cold or fever, involving repeated muscle contractions

反義詞
  • steady

    describes something that does not shake or move

  • still

    completely without movement

文法句型

trembling + noun (attributive)

be + trembling (predicative)

用法筆記

Often describes body parts (hands, voice, lips, legs, fingers) as a visible sign of a strong emotion or physical condition.

常見錯誤

He was trembing with cold.
He was trembling with cold.
💡The base verb is 'tremble'; the -ing form keeps the final 'e' before adding '-ing.'
I feel trembling.
I am trembling.' or 'I feel trembly.
💡'Trembling' as an adjective describes a person or body part, not the sensation itself. Use 'trembly' (informal) for the feeling.

2. describes the ground, a building, or an object that moves with small shakes, usu

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describes the ground, a building, or an object that moves with small shakes, usually in response to a nearby force

例句

The trembling floorboards warned us that someone was walking upstairs.

trembling floorboards + sound/weight source

During the earthquake, the trembling walls made it impossible to stand near the windows.

同義詞
  • shaking

    general term for any back-and-forth movement

  • vibrating

    suggests a continuous, fast, small movement, often from a machine

  • quaking

    stronger movement, often specifically of the ground during an earthquake

反義詞
  • still

    not moving at all

  • stable

    firm and not likely to shake

文法句型

trembling + noun

用法筆記

Used mainly for physical objects and surfaces rather than people. Often describes the effect of an external force such as an earthquake, heavy traffic, or footsteps.

常見錯誤

The man was trembling because of the earthquake.' (when describing the person's reaction)
The trembling walls scared everyone in the building.
💡Use this sense for objects; for a person's reaction, use adjective sense 1 instead.

trembling — noun