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Glite Dictionary
tremulous

tremulous

4 8.6
A voice that shakes slightly because the person is afraid or nervous
  • adjective
  • /ˈtrɛm.jə.ləs/
translation icon : tremuloso
  • Hhhiiih..., Jaime says, his voice breathy and tremulous, like a vibrating reed.
  • tremulous voice
  • tremulous smile
  • tremulous whisper

Examples

  • Stephanie Schnall: a tremulous librarian with suppressed emotions and chestnut hair.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • "I can appreciate how you feel," the chief said, trying to calm me in a tremulous voice.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Then he asked, in a tremulous tone, "Why do you ask me that question?"

    Fiction book (1997)

  • His voice grew tremulous and he leaned towards John.

  • The whisper in the wind grew into a tremulous voice.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • "Don't spit up," the woman said in German, her voice high and thin, tremulous, very much a young girl's.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • "Yes," she replied, with a sort of tremulous aplomb, addressing herself as much as him.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • With slightly tremulous fingers, Jack secured his bike with the requisite number of locks.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • A high-pitched cry tore the velvety fabric of the night and sounded a tremulous counterpoint to the wash of the surf.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • He spoke in a tremulous voice, clearly afraid of what might happen next.

Synonyms

shaky
vstremulous
59 2.1

Not steady and trembling, often from fear, cold, or tiredness

refers only to a slight unsteady sound in the voice rather than general instability
trembling
vstremulous
1 2.6

Shaking slightly because you feel afraid, cold, or weak

is used for a voice shaking slightly rather than full body uncontrolled shaking
quivery
vstremulous
1 5.0

Shaking slightly because of strong feelings or weakness

is reserved for a voice rather than general body shaking
trembly
vstremulous
1 4.4

Shaking slightly in the hands and voice because of fear or weakness

is used when the shaking is specifically in the voice from fear or weakness
quavering
vstremulous
7.2

A voice that trembles because of weakness, fear, or strong feeling

is used when the shaking is mainly from fear or weakness rather than emotion
quavery
vstremulous
7.7

Shaky in the voice, often showing nervousness or strong feeling

is used when shaking comes from fear or weakness rather than just sound quality
warbly
vstremulous
8.0

A shaky sound that moves up and down in pitch

is about shaking from fear or weakness rather than pitch variation or trilling

Antonyms

calm
735 1.0

Not showing strong feelings and being very still

steady
186 1.3

Firm and unlikely to be moved or upset

How Shaky

quavering
7.2
tremulous
4 8.6
shaky
59 2.1
unsteady
16 3.3
steady
186 1.3

Surface Forms

tremulous positive

Morphology

tremulous = tremble (semi-transparent) = tremul + ous

The adjective is formed by the suffix '-ous' meaning 'full of' attached to a Latin-derived stem; meaning relates to 'tremble' but the stem form differs from the common English verb, which may confuse learners.

Etymology

Tremulous comes from the Latin root trem-, from tremere, which means 'to shake', and it is the same root as the common English word tremble. So a tremulous voice is one that is slightly shaking, often because of fear or weakness.