tremulous

adjective

trem·​u·​lous ˈtrem-yə-ləs How to pronounce tremulous (audio)
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).

Examples of tremulous in a Sentence

She opened the letter with tremulous hands. He spoke with a tremulous voice.
Recent Examples on the Web She was played, in a star-making early role, by Winona Ryder, with a tremulous goth-girl resplendence that has never fully abandoned her. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2024 Per the Otago Daily Times, Phillipps had recently been in a Dunedin hospital to treat liver problems and had previously battled addiction and hepatitis C. The Chills formed in 1980 and helped propagate a homegrown indie rock variant marked by fanciful lyricism and tremulous guitars. Spin Staff, SPIN, 28 July 2024 But must the fates once again scorn Agnes' poor sister, Ada Brook, played with tremulous charm by Cynthia Nixon? Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 17 July 2024 The wife is not much of a role, and Thurman can’t give her anything more than a sustained note of tremulous concern, aside from the occasional moment of anger or impatience when Emma feels her husband is being pushed beyond the limits of his fragile health. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for tremulous 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tremulous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin tremulus — more at tremble

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tremulous was in 1611

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Dictionary Entries Near tremulous

Cite this Entry

“Tremulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tremulous. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tremulous

adjective
trem·​u·​lous ˈtrem-yə-ləs How to pronounce tremulous (audio)
1
: marked by or affected with trembling or tremors
tremulous hands
2
: fearful sense 2, timid
a shy tremulous person
3
: caused by or displaying nervousness or shakiness
a tremulous smile

Medical Definition

tremulous

adjective
trem·​u·​lous ˈtrem-yə-ləs How to pronounce tremulous (audio)
: characterized by or affected with trembling or tremors
tremulousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tremulous

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