SHAKE Synonyms: 163 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'shake' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of shake are agitate , convulse , and rock . While all these words mean "to move up and down or to and fro with some violence," shake often carries a further implication of a particular purpose. // shake well before using

Q: When could 'agitate' be used to replace 'shake'?

The words agitate and shake can be used in similar contexts, but agitate suggests a violent and prolonged tossing or stirring. // an ocean agitated by storms

Q: When can 'convulse' be used instead of 'shake'?

The words convulse and shake are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, convulse suggests a violent pulling or wrenching as of a body in a paroxysm. // spectators were convulsed with laughter

Q: When might 'rock' be a better fit than 'shake'?

In some situations, the words rock and shake are roughly equivalent. However, rock suggests a swinging or swaying motion resulting from violent impact or upheaval. // the whole city was rocked by the explosion

shake 1 of 2

verb

ˈshāk

Definition of shake next

as in to shudder

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the bus rattled and shook as it barreled down a rutted road

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to avoid

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery we shook our pursuers by cutting through the abandoned lot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shake

2 of 2

noun

as in minute

a very small space of time I'll be there in two shakes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shivers

shakes plural a sense of panic or extreme nervousness I get the shakes every time I hear her voice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in quake

a shaking of the earth the shake was a modest 3.1 on the Richter scale

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word shake different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of shake are agitate, convulse, and rock. While all these words mean "to move up and down or to and fro with some violence," shake often carries a further implication of a particular purpose.

shake well before using

When could agitate be used to replace shake?

The words agitate and shake can be used in similar contexts, but agitate suggests a violent and prolonged tossing or stirring.

an ocean agitated by storms

When can convulse be used instead of shake?

The words convulse and shake are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, convulse suggests a violent pulling or wrenching as of a body in a paroxysm.

spectators were convulsed with laughter

When might rock be a better fit than shake?

In some situations, the words rock and shake are roughly equivalent. However, rock suggests a swinging or swaying motion resulting from violent impact or upheaval.

the whole city was rocked by the explosion

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 shake

Verb

To use it, shake the bottle before sprinkling the powder onto dry hair at the roots. —

Jenny Berg, Allure, 27 Jan. 2025 The deep rumbling at the start of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts comes through at higher volumes, still not quite shaking the furniture but certainly conveying more depth and power than most TV speakers and smaller subwoofer-less soundbars. —

PCMAG, 27 Jan. 2025

Noun

And on the other side, how fair of a shake would Steichen and Richardson get in Year 3 under a GM who didn’t hire the coach or draft the QB? —

James Boyd, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025 Other creations have been added to the menu since, using the building block ingredients of cannoli, including cannoli cake and cannoli shakes. —

Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for shake

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shake

Verb

Sure, the movie eventually stumbles across a variety of recognizable genre signifiers (an ominous circle of mushrooms, a row of bushes that ward off local spirits, a puddle that shudders while the rest of the world lies still, etc.), but only after it’s set its terms on a more elemental level.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2025
With their wide second-position pliés, concave torsos and jutting hips, the eight dancers often appear to be pulled downward and inward; a little shuddering step looks like an attempt to take off from the ground.

— Siobhan Burke, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025