shakes
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a feeling of trembling in your body because you are cold, scared, or sick.
a state of physical trembling or shivering, often resulting from fear, cold, or physical exhaustion.
Simple“He had a bad case of the shakes before his big presentation.”
In context“After hours of hiking through the freezing rain, she developed a persistent case of the shakes that only a warm bath could soothe.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
uncontrollable shaking of the hands or body, usually caused by stopping drinking alcohol or using drugs.
physical tremors associated with withdrawal from addictive substances, particularly alcohol.
Simple“The patient was suffering from the shakes after three days without a drink.”
In context“The physician noted that the patient had developed the shakes, a classic sign of acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome.”
UsageUsually used with the definite article as 'the shakes'.
Teacher's tipWhile informal, this is a common way to describe a serious medical condition; in a clinical setting, 'tremors' is preferred.
Synonymsdelirium tremenstremors
“A buyer walks up to the seller, shakes their hand, and walks away with the drugs.”
“Perhaps, when all of this shakes out, it will be the only company left that can afford to provide game streaming services at all.”