vibrate

verb

vi·​brate ˈvī-ˌbrāt 

 especially British  vī-ˈbrāt

vibrated; vibrating

transitive verb

1

: to swing or move to and fro

2

: to emit with or as if with a vibratory motion

3

: to mark or measure by oscillation

a pendulum vibrating seconds

4

: to set in vibration

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move to and fro or from side to side : oscillate

b

: fluctuate, vacillate

vibrate between two choices

2

: to have an effect as or as if of vibration

music, when soft voices die, vibrates in the memory

—P. B. Shelley

3

: to be in a state of vibration : quiver

4

: to respond sympathetically : thrill

vibrate to the opportunity

Synonyms

• agitate
• bucket
• convulse
• jerk
• jiggle
• joggle
• jolt
• jounce
• judder [chiefly British]
• quake
• quiver
• shake
• shudder
• wobble
• wabble

Choose the Right Synonym for vibrate

swing, sway, oscillate, vibrate, fluctuate, waver, undulate mean to move from one direction to its opposite.

swing implies a movement of something attached at one end or one side.

the door suddenly swung open

sway implies a slow swinging or teetering movement.

trees swaying in the breeze

oscillate stresses a usually regular alternation of direction.

an oscillating fan

vibrate suggests the rapid oscillation of an elastic body under stress or impact.

the vibrating strings of a piano

fluctuate suggests constant irregular changes of level, intensity, or value.

fluctuating interest rates

waver stresses irregular motion suggestive of reeling or tottering.

the exhausted runner wavered before collapsing

undulate suggests a gentle wavelike motion.

an undulating sea of grass

Examples of vibrate in a Sentence

The car started to vibrate.

When you blow into the instrument, the air vibrates the reed.

Recent Examples on the Web

In sumptuously vibrating chords in the first movement of Schubert’s Fantasy, Olafsson’s touch was a little wetter and more muted, Wang’s percussive and as coolly etched as a polygraph. —Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025

Even the film’s basic exposition, showing Anna working in Klaus’s household and receiving her fateful instructions from Hansen, is richly suggestive of the turmoil vibrating beneath the orderly domestic surface. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025

The Core Board additionally incorporates electronics such as a microprocessor, Bluetooth module, IMU (inertial measurement unit), four vibrating haptic feedback motors, and a lithium-ion battery. —Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2024

This vibrating foam roller from Hyperice uses vibration therapy to help with muscle recovery. —Nora Colomer, Fox News, 28 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin vibratus, past participle of vibrare to brandish, wave, rock — more at wipe

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

vibrate

verb

vi·​brate ˈvī-ˌbrāt 

vibrated; vibrating

: to move or cause to move back and forth or from side to side rapidly so as to produce a quivering effect or sound

guitar strings vibrate when plucked