vibrate

[ vahy-breyt ]
See synonyms for: vibratevibrating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),vi·brat·ed, vi·brat·ing.
  1. to move rhythmically and steadily to and fro, as a pendulum; oscillate.

  2. to move to and fro or up and down quickly and repeatedly; quiver; tremble.

  1. (of sounds) to produce or have a quivering or vibratory effect; resound.

  2. to thrill, as in emotional response.

  3. to move between alternatives or extremes; fluctuate; vacillate.

verb (used with object),vi·brat·ed, vi·brat·ing.
  1. to cause to move rhythmically and steadily to and fro, swing, or oscillate.

  2. to cause to move to and fro or up and down quickly and repeatedly; cause to quiver or tremble.

  1. to give forth or emit by, or as by, vibration.

  2. to measure or indicate by vibration or oscillation: a pendulum vibrating seconds.

Origin of vibrate

1
First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin vibrātus (past participle of vibrāre “to move to and fro”); see -ate1

synonym study For vibrate

2. See shake.

Other words for vibrate

Other words from vibrate

  • vi·brat·ing·ly, adverb
  • non·vi·brat·ing, adjective
  • re·vi·brate, verb, re·vi·brat·ed, re·vi·brat·ing.
  • un·vi·brat·ed, adjective
  • un·vi·brat·ing, adjective

Words Nearby vibrate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use vibrate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vibrate

vibrate

/ (vaɪˈbreɪt) /


verb
  1. to move or cause to move back and forth rapidly; shake, quiver, or throb

  2. (intr) to oscillate

  1. to send out (a sound) by vibration; resonate or cause to resonate

  2. (intr) to waver

  3. physics to undergo or cause to undergo an oscillatory or periodic process, as of an alternating current; oscillate

  4. (intr) rare to respond emotionally; thrill

Origin of vibrate

1
C17: from Latin vibrāre

Derived forms of vibrate

  • vibratile (ˈvaɪbrəˌtaɪl), adjective
  • vibrating, adjective
  • vibratingly, adverb
  • vibratory, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012