English Reference
noun · verb

tremor

n. · v.
US /ˈtɹɛmɝ/ UK /tɹˈɛmɐ/ tremor UK spelling tremor's, tremor's

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

    n.a slight shaking movement in your body or voice, often caused by fear, excitement, or illness.

    n.an involuntary, rhythmic muscle contraction leading to shaking movements in one or more parts of the body.

    Simple

    I could hear a slight tremor in her voice as she began her speech.

    In context

    The patient exhibited a resting tremor in his right hand, which became less pronounced during purposeful movement.

    tremblequivershake
  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.a small earthquake or a slight shaking of the ground.

    n.a relatively minor seismic vibration of the earth's crust.

    Simple

    The city felt a small tremor last night, but no buildings were damaged.

    In context

    Seismologists recorded a series of minor tremors preceding the major volcanic eruption by several hours.

  3. 03 C2 Proficiency Literary

    v.to shake or tremble quickly and uncontrollably.

    v.to undergo rapid, involuntary oscillation or trembling.

    Simple

    The leaves began to tremor as the cold wind blew through the valley.

    In context

    His hands continued to tremor long after the immediate danger had passed, reflecting his deep psychological distress.

Deivi, who was asleep when the tremor began, says that he thought he was dreaming when the movement was gentle.

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026

The tremor was felt across large parts of Colombia and in neighbouring countries, including Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela.

UN News· 11 Aug 2026

From Middle English tremour (“fright”), from Anglo-Norman tremour and Old French tremor, from Latin tremor.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin tremor
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated