vibrate
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to move back and forth very quickly with small movements.
v.to move rhythmically and rapidly to and fro; to oscillate.
Simple“The floor began to vibrate as the heavy train passed by the house.”
In context“The engine began to vibrate at high speeds, suggesting a mechanical imbalance that required immediate inspection by a technician.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make a sound by shaking, like a guitar string or your voice.
v.to produce a sound through rapid oscillation; to resonate.
Simple“The low notes of the organ made the whole church vibrate.”
In context“The singer's vocal cords vibrate to produce a fundamental frequency, which is then shaped by the resonators of the mouth and throat.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.the setting on a phone that makes it shake instead of making a noise.
n.the haptic alert mode on a portable electronic device.
Simple“I kept my phone on vibrate during the movie so I wouldn't disturb anyone.”
In context“The executive switched her device to vibrate before the board meeting to ensure she remained aware of urgent notifications without interrupting the presentation.”
UsageUsually used with the preposition 'on'.
Synonymssilent modehaptic feedbackAntonymsringtone - 04 C2 Proficiency
v.to slightly change the pitch of a note while singing or playing an instrument.
v.to employ vibrato in musical performance.
Simple“The violinist began to vibrate the long note to give it more emotion.”
In context“The soprano was instructed to vibrate less on the early baroque pieces to maintain historical stylistic accuracy.”
The adjective (then also used as a participle) is first attested in 1420, in Middle English, the verb in 1620; partly from Middle English vibrat(e) (“reverberant”), partly directly borrowed from Latin vibrātus, perfect passive participle of vibrō (“to agitate, set in tremulous motion”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European weyp- (“to oscillate, swing”) or weyb-.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.